# I am the Watcher. I am your guide through this vast new twtiverse.
# 
# Usage:
#     https://watcher.sour.is/api/plain/users              View list of users and latest twt date.
#     https://watcher.sour.is/api/plain/twt                View all twts.
#     https://watcher.sour.is/api/plain/mentions?uri=:uri  View all mentions for uri.
#     https://watcher.sour.is/api/plain/conv/:hash         View all twts for a conversation subject.
# 
# Options:
#     uri     Filter to show a specific users twts.
#     offset  Start index for quey.
#     limit   Count of items to return (going back in time).
# 
# twt range = 1 1295
# self = https://watcher.sour.is?uri=https://feeds.twtxt.net/news-south-china-morning-post/twtxt.txt&offset=195
# next = https://watcher.sour.is?uri=https://feeds.twtxt.net/news-south-china-morning-post/twtxt.txt&offset=295
# prev = https://watcher.sour.is?uri=https://feeds.twtxt.net/news-south-china-morning-post/twtxt.txt&offset=95
Guinea to prosecute ousted president Alpha Conde for murder
Former leader Alpha Conde is among 27 ex-senior officials accused of assassination, torture, kidnapping and other crimes during his time in office. ⌘ Read more
Can Europe survive looming gas shortages as Russia halts supplies?**
While Europe debates whether it can survive Russia halting gas supplies, less has been said about preparing for shortages. Higher prices will not be sufficient and rationing should be a last resort, so governments must come up with initiatives that draw popular support. ⌘ Read more
Russia violates Finland’s airspace as Helsinki mulls Nato bid
An ‘Mi-17 helicopter’ was involved in the incident, which took place less than a month after an incursion by a Russian army transport aircraft in April. ⌘ Read more
What is the CPTPP and why is China eager to join?**
China says its application to join the Pacific Rim trade pact is consistent with efforts to reform and open up the economy, but it is unclear whether the country can meet the deal’s high standards. ⌘ Read more
Claim China’s Covid-19 ‘success’ has ‘shattered the American myth’ stirs online debate
China’s ability to survive Covid-19 with low death rates has “shattered the American myth”, a controversial political scientist has argued. In an article posted on Fudan University’s China Institute website last week, Zhang Weiwei said the outbreak, and high death rates in the United States, marked the end of the popular belief it had a superi ... ⌘ Read more
Sri Lanka crisis will last at least two more years finance minister says
Sri Lanka faces its worst ever economic crisis in decades due to the lack of foreign reserves, resulting in severe shortages in food, fuel, medicine, and imported goods. ⌘ Read more
Cyberattack on Hong Kong news agency FactWire leads to unauthorised access of subscriber data
Agency says its website, internal system and newsletter delivery operations were attacked, but that information on donor list was not accessed. ⌘ Read more
American university taking over Hong Kong press group’s human rights media awards says it will not get involved in this year’s event
Foreign Correspondents’ Club suspended the Human Rights Press Awards last week, citing legal concerns. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong police consider importing pistols from mainland China to replace American revolvers
Source says force recently received dozens of Chinese-made pistols for officers to test, give feedback. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: Zelensky says no deal without Russian withdrawal, Putin must agree to meet to negotiate end of fighting
Ukrainian President said it was important to continue peace talks, but noted “until the Russian president signs it or makes an official statement I don’t see the point in such agreements.” ⌘ Read more
Pope Francis, Japan’s Kishida discuss hopes for nuclear-free world after North Korea test launch, Ukraine war
Meeting came as nuclear-armed Russia pressed its war in Ukraine and after North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward its eastern waters and vowed to speed up the development of its own nuclear arsenal. ⌘ Read more
The Grand Mayfair I project in Yuen Long enjoys strong sales as discounts attract first-time buyers
The project, developed by Sino Land, K Wah International and China Overseas Land and Investment, found buyers for 322 of the 327 flats on offer on Wednesday. ⌘ Read more
PLA Navy steps up real-life combat drills in East China Sea near Taiwan
Drills follow series of air and sea exercises in response to US lawmaker’s visit to Taiwan in April. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: India and WHO at odds over New Delhi’s Covid-19 death totals
A soon to be released WHO report estimates India’s actual Covid-19 death toll is as high as 4 million, about eight times New Delhi’s official figure. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: new Covid-19 variants emerge, likely reinfecting Omicron survivors
Current data do not suggest BA.4 and BA.5 cause people to get sicker than earlier Omicron variants, but BA.4 and BA.5 do appear to be more transmissible. ⌘ Read more
China coronavirus: mass-testing push could cost 1.7 trillion yuan a year if rolled out across country
As more cities announce mass-testing initiatives, analysts warn that the cost of such efforts will further pressure local authorities and municipal coffers that are already being strained by attempts to shore up economic growth. ⌘ Read more
Dave Chapelle tackled during a Netflix comedy show at the Hollywood Bowl
Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance. ⌘ Read more
Elon Musk suggests charging some Twitter users, as platform trials non-public tweets for smaller ‘circles’**
Elon Musk said Twitter will remain free for ‘casual users’ by a ‘slight’ fee could be imposed for commercial and government users to help grow the platform’s revenue which lags behind other social media networks. ⌘ Read more
Apple supplier Foxconn freezes hiring of new workers for world’s largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou amid citywide lockdown
Foxconn has frozen its hiring of new assembly line workers for the world’s largest iPhone factory, as the central Chinese city of Zhengzhou went into lockdown for seven days. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong man gets suspended jail sentence for inciting others to cast invalid votes in Legislative Council election
Products manager Victor Chou, 57, used Facebook to call for protest against new electoral regime by casting blank ballots in December 19 poll. ⌘ Read more
China’s yuan ‘far from a top global reserve’, as investors dump assets amid Ukraine war
Coronavirus lockdowns, yuan depreciation and the perceived risk of investing in countries whose relationships with the West are complicated explain China’s capital outflows, a new report says. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong legislature passes HK$700 billion budget with tax breaks, raft of subsidies for coronavirus relief
Bill approved with 87 supporting votes and no objections, while social welfare sector representative Tik Chi-yuen voted to abstain. ⌘ Read more
Females of a spider species decide if mate is worthy by forcing it to catapult away after copulation or else she’ll eat him
Males from a species of spider that is common in China use a catapult mechanism to fling themselves away from the females after sex to avoid getting eaten. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: Russia hits eastern Ukrainian towns, storms bombed-out steel mill amid hopes for more evacuations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that by storming the Azovstal steel mill, Russian forces violated agreements for safe evacuations. ⌘ Read more
University student in mainland China admits he tried to kill 4 women in Hong Kong in the hope of getting death sentence
Liu Yueteng, 26, attacked four woman in Sham Shui Po in 2019, hoping to kill them so he could go back to mainland China and get the death penalty. ⌘ Read more
Vietnam coffee farmers turn to avocados and durians as Ukraine war pushes up fertiliser costs
An official said despite the extra income from these additional crops, growers are still having to cut back investment in their coffee trees. ⌘ Read more
Chinese researchers set up world’s highest weather station on Mount Everest to study roof of the world
‘Summit Mission’ project involves 5 scientific research teams, 16 scientific groups and more than 270 researchers. ⌘ Read more
Abortion-rights protesters rally in US cities after Supreme Court leak
Protests over a leaked US Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the court’s Roe vs Wade ruling sent people into the streets around the nation. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: Beijing closes dozens of subway stations and suspends bus routes to keep a lid on outbreak
China’s capital confirms 51 new Covid-19 infections from around 20 million tests conducted as the city tries to avoid a Shanghai-style lockdown. ⌘ Read more
Didi Global, China ride-hailing giant, reveals it faces an SEC probe about its NYSE IPO, on top of Beijing’s scrutiny and looming delisting
The Chinese ride-hailing giant revealed in its annual report filed on Tuesday that it faces a probe by the US stock-market watchdog concerning its US$4.4 billion initial public offering last summer. The revelation adds to woes including a cybersecurity investigation and potential NYSE delist ... ⌘ Read more
JD Vance notches victory for Donald Trump with Republican primary win in Ohio
Donald Trump’s chosen candidate, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author and one-time investment banker JD Vance, won the crowded Republican primary for US Senate in Ohio, giving Trump a strong beginning to primary season. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong student, 17, arrested over drug trafficking after customs seizes HK$4.3 million in narcotics stashed in imported dog food
Authorities found narcotics hidden in sacks of dog food from Spain, with the suspect believed to have pocketed HK$20,000 as reward to collect the goods. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: In interview, Pope talks about wanting to meet Putin, says Russian ‘tanks are useless’**
Pope Francis said in an interview that he asked for a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin to try to stop the war in Ukraine, but had not received a reply. ⌘ Read more
Covid-19 has become endemic in Hong Kong, health adviser says, raising possibility of strategy review
Professor David Hui from Chinese University warns however that a small rebound could still occur from in-person classes resuming at schools. ⌘ Read more
China-Australia relations: tariffs drive ‘exceptionally challenging’ environment for Australian wine exporters
Australian wine exporters have had to navigate ‘an exceptionally challenging operating environment’, largely caused by the imposition of tariffs on bottled Australian wine imported to mainland China, a new report says. ⌘ Read more
NFTs preserve Shanghai’s Covid-19 lockdown record from China censorship
In a cat-and-mouse game with censors, some residents are turning to blockchain where data cannot be erased. ⌘ Read more
North Korea fires suspected ballistic missile
The launch came days before South Korea ’s newly elected President Yoon Suk-yeol takes office on May 10. ⌘ Read more
Joe Biden tours Javelin ‘tank killer’ missile factory, urges billions for Ukraine
President Joe Biden heralded the US-made Javelin missile system as a game-changer for Ukraine’s stiff resistance to Russia’s invasion. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: Shanghai Covid-19 cases fall for 13th day, prompting officials to greenlight more manufacturers to resume production
As cases fell in both the quarantined and low-risk zones, the municipal government issued updated guidelines Tuesday night that invite companies to apply to resume production if they can comply with virus-control rules. ⌘ Read more
What does Japan think about China and Taiwan? Shinzo Abe may have the words for PM Fumio Kishida
The former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is turning out to be more outspoken on many issues today than when he was in power from 2012 to 2020. That change in tack could create significant complications for the less hawkish incumbent leader Fumio Kishida, analysts say. ⌘ Read more
Russian tycoon Oleg Tinkov says he was punished by Kremlin for Ukraine war stance
Russian tycoon Oleg Tinkov, who has urged the West to help end Moscow’s ‘insane war’ in Ukraine, says he has ‘lost everything but I have not lost my soul’. ⌘ Read more
Former Hong Kong opposition lawmaker and social welfare veteran Fernando Cheung migrates to Canada, saying ‘basic freedoms’ protected there
Social welfare veteran says ‘basic freedoms no longer need to be granted by those in power’ in his adopted home. ⌘ Read more
Al-Shabab claims deadly attack on African Union base in Somalia
Militants overran an African Union peacekeepers’ camp in the centre of Somalia, triggering a fierce firefight that killed an unknown number of Burundian peacekeepers. ⌘ Read more
Blinken’s China policy speech unlikely to offer olive branch to Beijing
The US Secretary of State will deliver a major address in Washington on Thursday but little softening expected towards US-China relations. ⌘ Read more
What is the minimum size rule for Hong Kong flats and how will it affect home prices and supply?**
The 280 sq ft minimum size requirement aims to ‘strike a balance’ between regulating the market and giving developers flexibility, says development chief Michael Wong. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong property deals climb to three-month high as owners drop prices to emigrate, offload nano flats
Some homeowners were in a rush to leave after their immigration applications to move abroad were approved, while others were keen to ditch their micro flats as a new size regulation promises a supply of larger units within their price range. ⌘ Read more
How Hong Kong’s chief executive hopeful John Lee can live up to his ‘result-oriented’ promise
The Northern Metropolis should not only be a showcase of addressing housing needs and deploying innovation and technology, it can also developed sustainably. Lee’s team must weave social advancement into infrastructure development so that urban design prioritises human well-being. ⌘ Read more
Chinese imperial court clothes made with plastic, scraps and recycled materials a hit in China
A collection of dresses inspired by the clothes of Chinese emperors and consorts made using plastic bags, discarded fabrics and scraps has been a big hit on social media. ⌘ Read more
Business boom predicted for Hong Kong restaurants with city set to relax dining restrictions ahead of Mother’s Day
Dining industry leader says business this weekend could allow eateries to regain 70 per cent of commercial activity from pre-pandemic period. ⌘ Read more
Covid-19 in China: tour guides turn to ‘cloud tourism’ as Omicron empties scenic spots
Even as local governments offer live-streaming training and support for alternative work, guides are left longing for real tourists to show around. ⌘ Read more
What challenges will next Philippine leader face in militant hotbed of Mindanao?**
Whoever wins the Philippine election will have to deal with the security and political complexities in Mindanao, analysts say, including seeing through a peace process. ⌘ Read more
China’s top venture capitalist Neil Shen sells Meituan stock for US$799 million, according to stock exchange filings
Some of Sequoia Capital China’s other big bets in the tech sector include Shein, Alibaba and JD.com. ⌘ Read more
On heels of Supreme Court leak, Oklahoma governor signs Texas-style abortion ban
The Texas-style law takes immediate effect, banning the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest. ⌘ Read more
US Secretary of State calls China the biggest violator of press freedoms, citing detention data
Antony Blinken condemns Beijing for detaining journalists and using technology to ‘increase surveillance, harassment, censorship’ both at home and abroad. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: Beijing outbreak ramps up pressure on China’s economic momentum
Beijing’s rush to contain an outbreak in the capital with mass testing and tough restrictions is putting further strain on China’s economic growth momentum, with the city largely quiet over the five-day Labour Day holiday. ⌘ Read more
Sri Lanka opposition declares no confidence in government, seeks to oust PM
The motion blames Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and his cabinet for failing to provide decent living standards amid a deep economic crisis. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: US agenda for UN Security Council includes digital technology and isolating Russia
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield discusses the priorities for Washington as it assumes the council leadership for a month and pressure builds to limit the war and its collateral damage. ⌘ Read more
Japan must change sexist work culture to reach its ‘womenomics’ goals, advocate says
Encouraging flexible work hours and start-ups with ‘more diverse founders’ will help more women get full-time jobs, says top executive Kathy Matsui. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine love story: nurse who lost legs in war has wedding dance with husband
Oksana Balandina, who stepped on a landmine on her way home, married sweetheart Viktor Vasyliv in a hospital ward in a romance closely followed by her countrymen. ⌘ Read more
US says Russia wrongfully detained basketball star Brittney Griner, hands case to hostage envoy
The shift means the US will now work more aggressively to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has already been held for 75 days. ⌘ Read more
Why the China-Solomon Islands pact is making waves in the Pacific
If Chinese security cooperation and economic largesse bring stability and prosperity to the islands, the message will resonate across the Pacific. However, the strong reaction of the region’s traditional powers could have a chilling effect on other countries eyeing a deal with China. ⌘ Read more
China wary of Russia-type sanctions, but Beijing’s ‘financial nuclear bombs’ are a powerful deterrent
Economy-crippling sanctions levied against Moscow serve as a ‘textbook warning for China’, but its prominent position in the global supply chain could hinder any US-led efforts to punish Beijing. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: 101 evacuees from Mariupol steel plant reach safety; Putin says Russia ready for talks with Ukraine
The UN says 101 civilians have been ‘successfully evacuated’ from Ukraine’s besieged and battered port city of Mariupol in a joint effort with the Red Cross. ⌘ Read more
US trade office says it has begun process on whether to lift tariffs on Chinese goods
Office of US Trade Representative announces a required procedure, four years after the first tariffs were imposed by then-president Donald Trump; businesses that want the tariffs to continue are told to notify the office. ⌘ Read more
Biden says he will protect ‘fundamental’ right to abortion following leaked draft appearing to overturn Roe v. Wade
Biden said he’d seek to enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into US law, following a report the Supreme Court is poised to overturn the landmark ruling. ⌘ Read more
Sunken Japanese tour boat searched with camera, 12 people still missing
14 people were killed when the Kazu I went missing on April 23 after leaving port in Hokkaido despite a bad weather warning. ⌘ Read more
China reports first fatalities from Changsha building collapse
Two people died after the structure caved in four days ago, officials say. ⌘ Read more
Heatwave sparks blackouts, questions on India’s coal usage
Supplies of coal at many power plants are running low, spawning daily power outages in several states, sparking scrutiny of India’s long reliance on coal, which produces 70 per cent of the country’s electricity. ⌘ Read more
Chinese aircraft carrier leads large strike group into western Pacific as Taiwan tensions rise
The Liaoning escorted on ‘routine mission’ by seven warships, including the PLA Navy’s most powerful destroyer. ⌘ Read more
Boris Johnson quotes Churchill in address to Ukrainian lawmakers, promises more military aid to fight Russia invasion
Johnson pledged US$376 in military aid during a remote address to the Ukraine parliament, the first by a foreign leader to since Russia invaded on February 24. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai illegally ran consultancy firm at Apple Daily’s offices for more than 20 years, prosecutors say
Lai and former employee Wong Wai-keung accused of illegally subleasing Apple Daily’s office space to Dico Consultants Limited in 1998. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong police investigate death of decoration firm director after body discovered at store
Force spokesman says body of 59-year-old man discovered at his own store with ‘10cm cut wound to the neck’. ⌘ Read more
Taliban tells driving schools in Afghanistan to put the brakes on giving licenses to women drivers
Since returning to power, the Taliban have been restricting the rights of female Afghans, preventing them from returning to schools and many government jobs. ⌘ Read more
Mystery liver disease kills three children in Indonesia
Indonesia’s Health Ministry said in a statement the children died in hospitals last month, after displaying symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. ⌘ Read more
Chinese economists censored, removed from social media after critical takes on zero-Covid policy
Online influencers with millions of followers are running afoul of Beijing’s censors by questioning the nation’s controversial strategy to stop the coronavirus. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong police investigate after TVB’s news app sends out unauthorised push notifications
Alerts include messages such as ‘Patriots rule Hong Kong’ and ‘yooooooo’. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: Russia unleashes rockets in Mariupol, EU readies oil sanctions
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered retaliatory sanctions against the West, but the Kremlin did not provide details of which individuals or entities may be affected. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong landowners to get better compensation rates with new mechanism from May 3, in bid to boost Northern Metropolis development
New system to offer only two tiers of compensation, to be determined by purpose of land resumption, with rates reviewed every six months. ⌘ Read more
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte vows to ban online cockfighting known as ‘e-sabong’**
There has been outcry over online cockfighting in the Philippines following the disappearance of dozens of workers and concerns about the social costs of gambling. ⌘ Read more
Covid-19 shows China must vary solutions instead of relying on centralisation and control for every problem
After China successfully contained the Wuhan outbreak by locking down the city and the rest of the province in 2020, it began to apply the formula to other areas. ⌘ Read more
Chinese doctor travels hundreds of kilometres to save life of newborn baby with breathing difficulties after father’s appeal
A medical expert and a colleague travel a vast distance to perform a life-saving operation on a sick baby when no other qualified doctors were available due to China’s Covid-19 outbreak. ⌘ Read more
Taiwan cuts Covid-19 quarantine for arrivals even as cases rise
Omicron’s short incubation period and need to maintain pandemic prevention capacity among reasons behind ‘new Taiwan model. ⌘ Read more
China yuan: ‘bearish’ offshore weakens to lowest in 17 months as coronavirus lockdowns weigh
China’s yuan has been tumbling as fears grow about the economic impact of extended lockdowns in many Chinese cities and expectations for US interest rate rises. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: Hong Kong economy records worse than expected 4 per cent contraction in first quarter
Contraction of gross domestic product in first quarter reverses year-on-year growth reported for 2021. ⌘ Read more
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi charged with bribery as new trial opens
New case against Suu Kyi alleges she took US$550,000 in bribes from a construction magnate. She is charged with two counts under the the Anti-Corruption Act, with each count punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong chief executive hopeful John Lee reveals he is Catholic, says ‘helping society as a whole’ is his life philosophy
If elected, John Lee will be the third chief executive to declare his Catholic faith. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong’s Exchange Fund posts US$7 billion quarterly investment loss amid ‘triple whammy’ hit from slumping stocks, bonds and a stronger US dollar
The Exchange Fund will have to sail through rough seas ahead, as the US Federal Reserve has flagged 10 increase in its benchmark rate through the end of 2023 to tamp down rising inflation in the US economy. ⌘ Read more
Helicopter catches falling New Zealand rocket but drops it in the ocean seconds later
Rocket Lab, the company behind the feat, said the falling Electron rocket booster was grabbed mid-air by a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter. ⌘ Read more
Hong Kong police arrest 58 over online fraud totalling HK$51 million in losses, with HK$10 million love scam among cases
HK$10 million love scam involving woman tricked by her online ‘lover’ among cases. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: as Beijing starts rigorous test regime officials name and shame firms breaking Covid-19 rules
Restaurants allowing dine-in despite a ban and companies not enforcing health codes, masks, temperature scanning and other measures are listed on social media. ⌘ Read more
Finland’s and Sweden’s path to Nato membership
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed Finland and Sweden to the verge of applying for Nato membership and abandoning a belief held for decades that peace was best kept by not publicly choosing sides. ⌘ Read more
2 more people pulled alive days after building collapses in China
Woman and man rescued from ruins of structure that caved in in Changsha on Friday. ⌘ Read more
Japan foreign minister to attend South Korean President-elect Yoon’s inauguration to mend frayed ties
Yoshimasa Hayashi’s presence next week at Yoon Suk Yeol’s oath-taking ceremony a sign of Tokyo’s will to set a new course in relations that had worsened under Moon Jae-in. ⌘ Read more
China-reliant Gabon finds oil-free, green future in its forests
The small African country’s environment minister talked climate financing at the IMF’s spring meeting as the need to replace oil revenues grows. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: CIA wants ‘concerned Russians’ to contact it on the darknet
The CIA is in a new push to promote its presence on a part of the internet accessible only through specialised tools that provide more anonymity. ⌘ Read more
Australian man jailed for 12 years over 1988 cliff murder of gay American
Scott White was also awarded a non-parole period of 99 months for the murder of mathematician Scott Johnson three decades ago. ⌘ Read more
Ukraine war: US says Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov visited Donbas front where Kyiv claimed deadly attack
The United States believes that the Russian military’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, visited Ukraine’s Donbas region last week but cannot confirm media reports that he was wounded during fighting. ⌘ Read more
China’s ‘rotten-tail buildings’: homebuyers in limbo for years with no home due to dodgy developers and red tape
Chinese homebuyers who fall afoul of broke developers and bureaucratic disinterest sometimes wait a decade to move into dream homes which often have no power, water or basic amenities. ⌘ Read more
Coronavirus: Hong Kong kindergartens reopen after 4-month suspension but mandatory daily Covid tests mean earlier start for some
Government earlier said a third of kindergarten pupils would be allowed to return to their classrooms from Tuesday, another third on May 10 and the rest on May 16. ⌘ Read more
US primaries will test Donald Trump’s sway with Republicans
The month of May brings Donald Trump the biggest test of his political clout since the end of his presidency. ⌘ Read more