https://www.scmp.com/rss/322243/feed Australasia's latest news, current affairs, politics and regional issues. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Homes in New Zealand’s capital were flooded with faeces and sanitary products on Friday after an overnight storm blocked waste water pipes, the city’s utilities company said. Wellington Water said the waste water overflow in the picturesque suburb of Island Bay was the result of a blocked main. It said five properties were affected by the overflow and its crews were working to remove the faeces and sanitary products and disinfect the homes. “There is a suction truck on-site at the overflow,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3356031/new-zealands-wellington-hit-disgusting-deluge-faeces-sanitary-items-after-storm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3356031/new-zealands-wellington-hit-disgusting-deluge-faeces-sanitary-items-after-storm?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2026 03:29:23 +0000 Christine Loh Christine Loh Since the Ukraine war began in 2022, Asia has been watching conflict as if enrolled in a study course. We have heard every argument: Nato enlargement, Russian insecurity, Ukrainian sovereignty, European fear, American power, energy politics, sanctions, nationalism and resistance. We have watched Gaza burn. We have watched the United States capture Venezuela’s president and defend the act as lawful. We have watched Iran absorb attacks and retaliate. For Asians, these are no longer distant events.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355563/5-lessons-asia-it-studies-wars-privilege-peace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3355563/5-lessons-asia-it-studies-wars-privilege-peace?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:30:06 +0000 He Huifeng He Huifeng Australian beef will soon be subject to an additional 55 per cent import duty in China, with shipments of the meat about to surpass an annual quota set by Beijing, China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed on Tuesday. Imports of Australian beef have already reached 90 per cent of this year’s quota, meaning that a tariff adjustment will soon be triggered, the ministry announced via an alert. Until recently, most imports of Australian beef were subject to low or even zero tariffs in China under a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3355698/australian-beef-will-soon-be-hit-55-tariff-china-ministry-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:30:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia’s populist One Nation party surged past the ruling Labor party to lead a nationwide opinion poll for the first time, highlighting voter disappointment with last month’s budget and reinforcing signs of a fracturing of the conservative side of politics. One Nation’s primary vote advanced 4 percentage points to 31 per cent from a previous poll conducted ahead of the May 12 budget, while the centre-left government slipped 3 points to 28 per cent, according to a Redbridge Group/Accent... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3355493/australia-catches-europes-right-wing-populist-wave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3355493/australia-catches-europes-right-wing-populist-wave?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 01:47:33 +0000 Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk Bryan Luk,Leonard Luk The excitement around SpaceX, fuelled by the targeted US$1.8 trillion valuation for its initial public offering and its promising Starship rocket development, has revived a familiar claim: that SpaceX is on course to dominate the space market. Commercially, that view is understandable. SpaceX conducts more space launches than anyone and at very competitive costs, its Starlink satellite internet company provides strong in-house demand, and it has a scale advantage unmatched by any other private... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355072/spacex-global-dominance-may-not-be-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355072/spacex-global-dominance-may-not-be-written-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand does not have the fiscal headroom to increase defence spending to the levels the US might expect, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told delegates at an Asia security forum in Singapore on Saturday that New Zealand’s target of raising defence spending to 2 per cent of the economy is not enough and was an example of “freeloading”. He hinted that nations should aspire to a target as high as 3.5 per cent. “That would be extremely challenging,” Willis... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3355437/new-zealand-tells-us-it-lacks-billions-under-couch-raise-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3355437/new-zealand-tells-us-it-lacks-billions-under-couch-raise-defence-spending?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 May 2026 01:21:10 +0000 Anthony Rowley Anthony Rowley There is a good deal more to the rapid rise in bond yields around the world, not least in Asia, than meets the eye. It suggests a recognition by financial markets that governments are spending beyond their means, tax revenues and borrowing power. The implication is that either taxes need to rise or public spending needs to fall, or alternatively that financial markets, stock markets in particular, must shift their priorities away from glamour stocks in the tech and artificial intelligence (AI)... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355192/writings-wall-bond-market-those-who-can-read-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3355192/writings-wall-bond-market-those-who-can-read-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2026 08:30:05 +0000 Jeffrey Robertson Jeffrey Robertson Recent articles in an Asia-focused international policy forum suggest that states such as Australia, Canada and South Korea can join up with other middle powers to secure the maritime order and restore the liberal international order. While well meaning and encouraging, the unfortunate truth is that these tasks are beyond the capacity of middle powers. The smartest ones won’t even try. Maritime security has transformed from a permissive environment dominated by uncontested naval supremacy into a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354905/can-middle-powers-restore-international-order-think-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3354905/can-middle-powers-restore-international-order-think-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters A photographer shooting the final day of the World Surf League (WSL) in New ⁠Zealand was injured by what organisers suspect was a sea lion or shark bite on Monday, forcing the event to be put on hold for several hours. The New Zealand Pro semi-final between Brazilian world champions Yago Dora and Italo Ferreira at Raglan was halted after the ‌in-water photographer suffered puncture wounds and needed medical attention, the WSL said. “This morning one of the water photography team suffered a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354709/wildlife-injury-forces-new-zealand-surfing-event-be-put-hold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354709/wildlife-injury-forces-new-zealand-surfing-event-be-put-hold?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 00:58:45 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand intends to spend about NZ$1.6 billion (US$936 million) on drones, ship maintenance and naval upgrades to bolster the island nation’s maritime security at a time of increasing concern about supply routes. Defence Minister Chris Penk said on Saturday that the government would invest in two types of drones: one for the southwest Pacific to provide long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and the other a polar-capable vehicle that could operate from naval vessels in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354637/new-zealand-invest-almost-us1-billion-drones-ships-protect-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3354637/new-zealand-invest-almost-us1-billion-drones-ships-protect-maritime-security?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2026 12:14:32 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Asian airlines need government support to cope with the more than doubling of jet fuel prices that otherwise risks some carriers collapsing like US-based Spirit Airlines, according to the new head of the region’s industry body. Wong Hong, who took over as director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines last month, said carriers needed varying levels of help and relief, from direct financial support to being able to cut flight schedules without negative consequences. “Nobody wants to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354056/some-asian-airlines-could-collapse-spirit-without-help-rising-fuel-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354056/some-asian-airlines-could-collapse-spirit-without-help-rising-fuel-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 05:19:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s Qantas was forced to divert a flight bound for the United States over a disruptive passenger, with local media reporting the man bit a flight attendant. The flight from Melbourne was headed to Dallas on Friday when it was forced to make a stop-off in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, due to the disruptive passenger. The man was restrained by fellow passengers, with local media including national broadcaster ABC reporting he bit a member of Qantas staff. The man was met by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3353854/melbourne-us-qantas-flight-diverted-after-man-bites-flight-attendant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3353854/melbourne-us-qantas-flight-diverted-after-man-bites-flight-attendant?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 04:02:55 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thirty-four European states plus Australia, Costa Rica and the EU said on Friday they would join a future special tribunal for Ukraine to prosecute Russia over its invasion of the country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an accord with the Council of Europe last year to create a legal body to prosecute the “crime of aggression” in the invasion Russia launched in February 2022. The Council of Ministers, comprising foreign ministers from the organisation’s 46-member states, in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3353763/ukraine-war-36-nations-approve-tribunal-creation-prosecute-russia-over-invasion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 13:44:54 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Australia’s trade minister will visit China in an effort to shore up fuel supplies that have run short this year because of bottlenecks in the Strait of Hormuz during the US–Israeli war in Iran. Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell told a press conference that he would travel to China to meet Commerce Minister Wang Wentao after a stop in Japan on Monday. “Very much the topic of the day will be how do we continue to ensure reliable fuel supplies into this country,” Farrell said,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353673/australian-trade-minister-visit-china-secure-fuel-during-iran-war-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3353673/australian-trade-minister-visit-china-secure-fuel-during-iran-war-crunch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2026 07:30:05 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Statues erected by South Korean civic groups on the other side of the world honouring the tens of thousands of women forced into sexual slavery by imperial Japanese forces during World War II have once again succeeded in making Tokyo’s elites deeply uncomfortable. The decisions by local governments in Germany’s capital and New Zealand’s largest city to rescind or decline to renew permits for “comfort women” memorials have been pounced on by conservatives within Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3353417/japan-south-korea-comfort-women-row-stoked-statues-abroad?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Australia’s mining giants are aiding China’s push to internationalise its currency and reduce the dominance of the US dollar, as they gradually shift towards using the yuan for financing and settlements, analysts said. China has been using its heft as the world’s dominant iron ore buyer to push global mining companies to adopt the yuan. And several firms are already making the switch, with China’s relatively low interest rates becoming an added incentive. BHP, the world’s largest mining company,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353274/how-australias-mining-giants-are-helping-china-globalise-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3353274/how-australias-mining-giants-are-helping-china-globalise-yuan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 Julian Ryall Julian Ryall Japan’s Mogami-class destroyer appears to be pulling ahead in the race to become the next generation of warships for the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), in what would be another major deal for Japan’s defence industry just weeks after Tokyo announced it was lifting its long-held ban on weapons exports. Under its 2025 Defence Capability Plan, the government in Wellington has committed to replacing its two ANZAC-class frigates – launched in the early 1990s – with more capable, modern warships. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352966/why-japans-mogami-class-warship-winning-over-new-zealand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 02:30:05 +0000 Andrew Sheng Andrew Sheng The old order is dead. We just don’t know what will replace it. As Henry Kissinger reminded us in his 2014 book World Order, “no truly global order has ever existed”. After US President Donald Trump’s erratic actions, the gloves are off. American comedians and Iranian Lego cartoons tell us all we need to know about the demise of the old order. If the unipolar order is not viable, and America is abandoning the multilateral order and the rules of the game it created after World War II, what are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3352758/thanks-trump-gloves-are-there-may-be-no-new-global-order?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Two Australian women “kept a female slave” after travelling to Syria in 2014 to support Islamic State, police said on Friday after the pair were charged in Melbourne. The women returned to Australia on Thursday evening for the first time in almost a decade, travelling from a Syrian detention camp where they were stranded after the group’s collapse. They were immediately arrested after their Qatar Airways flight landed at Melbourne International Airport. Police accused the women – a mother and... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352825/islamic-state-linked-australian-women-charged-keeping-slave-syria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352825/islamic-state-linked-australian-women-charged-keeping-slave-syria?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 23:42:36 +0000 Göktuğ Çalışkan Göktuğ Çalışkan When the United States and the Philippines opened this year’s Balikatan exercises, the message travelled far beyond the parade ground. More than 17,000 troops are taking part in drills set to run until May 8. What matters is where the drills unfold, who has joined and what kind of regional habit they are helping to normalise. Japan took part in its first Balitakan live-fire exercises. Australia, Canada, France and New Zealand were also active participants. Then the exercises moved closer to... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3352387/why-chinas-warning-over-military-blocs-finding-listeners-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 21:30:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New Zealand is weighing the purchase of advanced warships from Japan or the UK to modernise its ageing fleet and bolster its defence capability. The South Pacific nation, member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network alongside Australia, the US, the UK and Canada, is focused on Japanese Mogami-class or the UK’s Type 31 frigates. Discussions are under way with the Royal Australian Navy and the UK’s Royal Navy about the frigate replacement and ongoing service arrangements, Defence Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352684/new-zealand-eyes-japanese-mogami-class-warships-possible-replacements-ageing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352684/new-zealand-eyes-japanese-mogami-class-warships-possible-replacements-ageing-fleet?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2026 01:55:44 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A group of 13 Australians related to alleged Islamic State (Isis) jihadists is returning home from Syria, Australian authorities said on Wednesday, warning some will face arrest. The four women and nine children, who had been living in Roj camp in Syria, are expected to land in Sydney and Melbourne airports on Thursday, according to local media. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said he received an alert on Wednesday morning when the group’s travel booking was made. “The government is not... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352571/australia-warns-arrests-13-people-linked-isis-set-return-syria?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352571/australia-warns-arrests-13-people-linked-isis-set-return-syria?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:52:56 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Japan’s prime minister touched down in Australia on Sunday with a set of shared anxieties – about Trump, China and the fragility of supply chains that the two insular nations have long relied upon – to which she sought some small relief. By the time she departed, Sanae Takaichi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had signed an economic security pact, unlocked nearly US$1 billion in critical minerals funding and laid the groundwork for what observers describe as the most comprehensive... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352566/anxious-australia-and-jittery-japan-deepen-quasi-alliance-uneasy-age?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3352566/anxious-australia-and-jittery-japan-deepen-quasi-alliance-uneasy-age?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2026 04:25:03 +0000 dpa dpa Two marine rescue volunteers died after their boat capsized while attempting to help a yacht in distress off the east coast of Australia, according to New South Wales police. On Monday evening, a member of the public reported that a yacht appeared to be struggling at a breakwall in Ballina in northern New South Wales, police said. A vessel of volunteer service Marine Rescue NSW with six crew on board was responding to the call when “their vessel capsized while crossing the Ballina Bar in heavy... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352433/2-marine-rescue-volunteers-die-after-boat-capsizes-australias-new-south-wales-coast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352433/2-marine-rescue-volunteers-die-after-boat-capsizes-australias-new-south-wales-coast?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:29:02 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Chinese multinational company Landbridge Group’s legal claim regarding Darwin Port – the first case ever brought against Australia at the international tribunal – is likely to yield a multi-year proceeding, which could serve as a buffer to provide some positive impacts for the Australia-China relationship, analysts said. The owner of Landbridge, Ye Cheng, filed a case with the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investor Disputes (ICSID) requesting “arbitration proceedings” over... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352339/chinas-fight-keep-darwin-port-could-help-fragile-sino-australian-relations-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 01:00:14 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore and New Zealand on Monday signed the world’s first legally binding bilateral agreement to keep essential supplies – including food, fuel, healthcare products and chemical and construction materials – flowing even during crises. The Agreement on Trade in Essential Supplies was signed by Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Energy, Science and Technology Tan See Leng and New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment Todd McClay at the Singapore-New Zealand Annual Leaders’ Meeting in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3352337/singapore-nz-sign-worlds-first-bilateral-treaty-protect-essential-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 06:59:47 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Japan’s prime minister is set to arrive in Australia to strengthen ties with one of her country’s strongest allies as she seeks to build on an updated regional strategy laid out in Vietnam. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to touch down late on Sunday local time in Canberra for the three-day visit, which will focus on defence, critical minerals and broader economic security. The two countries have grown increasingly concerned about the changing security and economic environment in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352272/takaichi-bound-australia-strengthen-economic-security-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 10:11:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters Hundreds of protesters clashed with Australian emergency services workers in a remote town following the arrest of a man suspected of murdering a five-year-old indigenous girl, police said on Friday. Australia’s prime minister, the Northern Territory’s police commissioner and a spokesperson for the victim’s family all appealed for calm after an angry crowd of roughly 400 indigenous people gathered on Thursday night at the hospital where ‌the suspect was taken after being beaten unconscious by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352139/riot-erupts-over-australian-indigenous-girls-suspected-killer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352139/riot-erupts-over-australian-indigenous-girls-suspected-killer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 May 2026 08:10:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australian police ⁠said on Thursday they have found a ⁠body believed to be that of a missing five-year-old indigenous girl and were searching for the man who allegedly murdered her. The girl, now referred to by her family as Kumanjayi Little Baby in line with Indigenous customs, was reported missing from her home in ‌a remote community in central Australia late on Saturday. Police said they located a body of a young Indigenous girl they believed was hers shortly before midday on Thursday about... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352021/australian-police-find-body-search-missing-indigenous-girl-5?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3352021/australian-police-find-body-search-missing-indigenous-girl-5?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 09:25:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Viral posts of an Australian street dubbed the country’s “most beautiful” have enticed coachloads of visitors to a picturesque seaside town – and locals have had enough of it. Just a two-hour drive south of Sydney, Gerringong is much like many other photogenic hamlets along Australia’s east coast, with multimillion-dollar properties set against stunning views of the azure blue sea. But recent posts on Instagram, TikTok and as far afield as China’s RedNote showing the town’s Tasman Drive have... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351946/tourists-overrun-australias-most-instagrammed-street-driving-locals-brink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351946/tourists-overrun-australias-most-instagrammed-street-driving-locals-brink?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:36:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indians are now Australia’s largest migrant group, supplanting the English for the first time ever, in a change that highlights the rise of immigration as an increasingly contentious political issue. Some 971,020 people in Australia – or 5.2 per cent of the population – were born in India, narrowly surpassing the 970,950 born in England, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The England-born population slipped from just over 1 million in 2013. The third-largest cohort... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351925/india-overtakes-england-become-australias-largest-migrant-group?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351925/india-overtakes-england-become-australias-largest-migrant-group?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 01:09:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse New Zealand officials rejected on Wednesday an application to install a statue commemorating so-called “comfort women” enslaved by Japan before and during World War II after Tokyo suggested it could harm diplomatic relations. Japan forced up to 200,000 women from Korea, China and Southeast Asia into sexual slavery from 1932 until 1945 and the issue remains a sore point in Tokyo’s relations with its neighbours. The Korean Garden Trust had sought to install a statue honouring the survivors at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351852/new-zealand-officials-reject-statue-remembering-japans-wwii-sex-slaves?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 09:23:25 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A free-trade agreement signed between India and New Zealand has marked yet another regional push towards diversification and away from overdependence on major powers. The deal, which comes after 15 years of on-and-off negotiations, gained urgency in recent weeks as Indian exporters contend with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and steep American tariffs that have rattled supply chains. New Zealand, for its part, has been pursuing a strategy to reduce dependence on China, its largest trading... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351708/india-new-zealand-boost-trade-diversification-forward-looking-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:00:28 +0000 Sophie Wushuang Yi Sophie Wushuang Yi “Balikatan 2026” is meant to reassure allies and deter adversaries. But the military exercise hosted by the Philippines also reveals a harsher truth: the Indo-Pacific is drifting into a security logic in which deterrence no longer contains risk but multiplies it. Every move taken in the name of stability now invites a countermove. Every display of resolve is answered by another. The result is not equilibrium, but a trap. That is why diplomacy has to return to the centre of regional strategy... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3351382/without-diplomacy-deterrence-asia-path-escalation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press India and New Zealand on Monday signed a free-trade agreement to deepen economic ties and expand market access, as both countries navigate mounting global trade disruptions. The deal comes as New Delhi moves to diversify export markets to offset the impact of steep tariffs imposed by the United States and instability in shipping and energy routes due to the Iran war. For New Zealand, the agreement is part of a broader push to reduce reliance on China, its largest trading partner. The agreement... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351592/india-new-zealand-sign-once-generation-free-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3351592/india-new-zealand-sign-once-generation-free-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 11:11:03 +0000 Li Xing Li Xing Geopolitics, at its core, examines how geography shapes international politics, power distribution and security dynamics. One enduring idea is geographer Halford Mackinder’s “heartland” theory, which situates Eurasia as the central arena of global power competition. In 1904, Mackinder argued that the vast land mass of Europe and Asia – what he called the “world island” – contained a pivotal core, the “heartland”, rich in resources, population and strategic depth. His dictum – “Who rules Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Sylvia Ma,Kandy Wong Australian mining giant BHP’s decision to adopt a yuan-denominated index for a major Chinese buyer poses a challenge to the US dollar’s long-standing dominance in iron ore pricing, delivering a hard-won victory for Beijing, analysts said. But while the agreement marked a breakthrough in Beijing’s push to gain greater commodity pricing power at a time when the United States faces growing “geopolitical isolation”, analysts stressed that its broader efforts to reshape the old order remained far... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351333/will-chinas-deal-australian-mining-giant-bhp-boost-yuan-internationalisation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351333/will-chinas-deal-australian-mining-giant-bhp-boost-yuan-internationalisation?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:00:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow A landmark warship deal between Australia and Japan is expected to drive further defence technology cooperation between the two Asia-Pacific nations, comparable in scope to Canberra’s security arrangements with Washington. Analysts say the agreement with Tokyo will also help Canberra address navy shortfalls and reduce its overreliance on the US at a time of great volatility. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi announced on Saturday that the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351174/australias-us7-billion-japan-warship-deals-signals-shift-us-overreliance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351174/australias-us7-billion-japan-warship-deals-signals-shift-us-overreliance?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Far-flung Pacific nations ⁠are reeling from the impact of a global ⁠fuel crisis as authorities scramble to manage energy supplies while families must grapple ⁠with fuel curbs and higher costs for food and access to healthcare. Global oil supplies are running down as the US-Israeli war with Iran disrupts traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which typically carries about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows. Aid agencies have warned that the crisis has driven up prices... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350937/pacific-islanders-skip-food-medicine-amid-global-fuel-shortage-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350937/pacific-islanders-skip-food-medicine-amid-global-fuel-shortage-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 01:37:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A senior New Zealand minister has sparked outrage by deriding a planned free-trade deal with India as a “butter chicken tsunami”. Wellington is poised to sign a free-trade agreement with India in New Delhi next week. The New Zealand government has hailed it as a “once in a generation” deal that will give its businesses access to the world’s most populated country’s vast domestic market. But its ruling coalition partner, the right-wing populist NZ First party, has pulled support over fears it... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350935/indians-slam-new-zealand-minister-butter-chicken-tsunami-remarks-outright-racism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350935/indians-slam-new-zealand-minister-butter-chicken-tsunami-remarks-outright-racism?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:33:51 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Regulators across Asia are stepping up scrutiny of cybersecurity risks in their financial systems, as concerns over Anthropic’s latest AI model Mythos spread. Singapore’s financial regulator is urging banks to plug holes, while South Korea’s government agencies have met to review and discuss how to respond to the risks. In Australia, authorities expect lenders to be vigilant to ensure clients are not put at risk by inadequate controls. The actions around the region reflect rising global concern... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350701/asian-financial-bodies-sound-alert-anthropics-mythos-ai-hacker?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350701/asian-financial-bodies-sound-alert-anthropics-mythos-ai-hacker?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 07:47:35 +0000 Reuters Reuters Residents in low-lying areas of New Zealand’s ⁠capital city Wellington ⁠were urged to evacuate on ⁠Monday, as heavy rain continued to drench the city, which experienced flash flooding overnight. A state of emergency was declared for the region on Monday afternoon, while weather forecaster MetService upgraded its heavy rain warning to red, the highest level, which indicates a threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Mayor Andrew Little told state-owned Radio... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350675/new-zealand-declares-emergency-wellington-record-rainfall-triggers-flash-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:26:50 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg In the early 2010s, a small Australian company tried to build a fleet of satellites before lenders, concerned about its chief executive officer’s flamboyant behaviour, pulled hundreds of millions of dollars of financing. The firm collapsed in 2015. More than a decade later, Singapore real estate tycoon Ching Chiat Kwong, who says he put US$100 million of his own money into NewSat, has not forgotten. The Supreme Court of Victoria begins hearing a case on Monday brought by the liquidators of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350663/singapore-tycoon-sues-banks-us1-billion-collapse-australian-newsat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350663/singapore-tycoon-sues-banks-us1-billion-collapse-australian-newsat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 02:02:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travellers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks. The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travellers. Fliers will get cosy with their fellow passengers, however, so crumbs, strong perfumes and bed-sharing are forbidden. The curtained... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350551/air-new-zealand-invites-economy-passengers-join-mile-high-sleep-club-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350551/air-new-zealand-invites-economy-passengers-join-mile-high-sleep-club-world-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 02:23:08 +0000 Agencies Agencies An Australian company will import 250,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser from Indonesia in the coming months, easing fears of a shortage that would crimp food production, Canberra said on Friday. Australia is one of the world’s biggest exporters of crops including wheat, barley and canola but relies on fertiliser imports that are threatened by ‌the war on Iran, which has cut supply from the Middle East, a major urea producer. The price of urea, a source of nitrogen that fuels plant growth, has risen... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350386/australia-acts-protect-winter-crops-emergency-indonesian-fertiliser-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 01:21:05 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Malaysia and Australia pledged on Thursday to keep oil and gas flowing between them as the Iran war’s continuous squeeze on global fuel supplies compels regional countries to deepen energy trade cooperation. Across Asia, governments have been scrambling for alternatives after crude oil and gas shipments from the Middle East were disrupted following Tehran’s move to choke access to the Strait of Hormuz in response to US-Israeli strikes against Iran that began on February 28. The disruption has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350345/malaysia-and-australia-strike-energy-supply-pledge-bypass-iran-war-disruptions?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:32:50 +0000 CNA CNA A man was charged in Australia on Tuesday with sexually assaulting a female passenger on board a Scoot flight from Singapore to Perth on Monday. The 52-year-old Indian national committed “non-consensual sexual acts” on a woman he was seated next to during the flight, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Western Australia Police Force said in a joint statement on Monday. The woman sought help from airline staff members and was later moved to another seat, the police said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350324/indian-man-charged-sexual-assault-passenger-singapore-perth-scoot-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:42:19 +0000 Reuters,Agence France-Presse Reuters,Agence France-Presse A fire at one of Australia’s two operating oil refineries could hit petrol production more than diesel and aviation fuel, authorities said on Thursday, as emergency crews worked overnight to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters were battling flames as tall as 60 metres (200 feet) at Viva ‌Energy’s motor petrol production unit at its Geelong refinery in Victoria state, which processes crude into high-octane petrol. No injuries have been reported from the fire, which emergency crews were alerted to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350236/fire-australian-refinery-fuels-petrol-shortage-fears-amid-global-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3350236/fire-australian-refinery-fuels-petrol-shortage-fears-amid-global-oil-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 01:57:17 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A dangerous super typhoon in the Pacific Ocean is barrelling towards a group of remote US islands. Super Typhoon Sinlakua is expected to make landfall on Tuesday in the Northern Mariana Islands and bring destructive winds, widespread heavy rain and flooding, the National Weather Service said on Monday. Power cuts on the islands could be lengthy, forecasters warned. Guam, a US territory with American military installations and about 170,000 residents, could also see damaging winds and is under a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349957/pacific-ocean-super-typhoon-sinlakua-bears-down-group-remote-us-islands?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349957/pacific-ocean-super-typhoon-sinlakua-bears-down-group-remote-us-islands?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:42:11 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia has pledged A$2.5 million (US$1.7 million) in aid to Pacific neighbours Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, after tropical cyclone Maila caused devastating floods and landslides that killed 11. Australia stood “shoulder to shoulder” with its neighbours, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Sunday, pledging A$1 million for Papua New Guinea and A$1.5 million for the Solomon Islands, where severe impacts have been felt in remote communities across Western and Choiseul... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349855/australia-pledges-us17-million-aid-after-cyclone-maila-kills-11-pacific?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:26:16 +0000