33 y. ago The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12

The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 12  Newspapers.com

Politics

14 h. ago ‘Cannibalised by Aukus’: is Australia risking its defence for future submarines?

Since the end of World War II, Australia has repeatedly revised its defence strategy in anticipation of evolving threats. For more than 15 years, China’s rise has been viewed with growing trepidation, and since 2020, Australians have been warned they face their most precarious strategic outlook for nearly a century. Yet despite the warnings and numerous white papers, observers say Australia remains alarmingly underprepared for conflict, with the country’s political class often criticised as more...

Events

16 h. ago The future of retirement for wealthy Hongkongers could be this Zhuhai community

A Macau conglomerate is targeting Hong Kong’s affluent retirees with a new luxury senior housing project in the Greater Bay Area, capitalising on a shortage of high-end retirement options for the city’s affluent retirees. “There is a lack of high-quality lifestyle retirement [options] in Hong Kong,” said Amber Li, founder of Serensia Woods, a 13,500-square-metre (145,313 sq ft) retirement community in Zhuhai’s Hengqin district. The community, on an island largely in the Guangdong city...

Politics

26 h. ago Hong Kong staff of King Parrot Group to seek help from authorities after closures

Staff affected by the sudden closure of nine eateries operated by King Parrot Group, a 33-year-old restaurant chain in Hong Kong, will go to the Labour Department on Monday to file claims for unpaid wages and other entitlements amounting to more than HK$1 million (US$127,440), a union has said. Labour sector lawmaker Aron Kwok Wai-keung said on Sunday that business owners facing hardship should plan ahead if they were at risk of closure to ensure employees received their wages, while also...

Politics

39 h. ago Trump, Hegseth, Rubio: a triple threat to global stability – and Asia

The Indo-Pacific cannot afford to become collateral damage in America’s descent from diplomacy into dysfunction – a decline embodied by Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth’s sabre-rattling and Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio’s overreach. At the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Hegseth stunned Asia’s defence and diplomatic elite by demanding that Indo-Pacific countries raise defence spending to 5 per cent of gross domestic product to “counter China”. The proposal...

Politics

45 h. ago New virus found in China ‘only small step’ from infecting humans, risking another pandemic, scientists warn

New virus found in China ‘only small step’ from infecting humans, risking another pandemic, scientists warn  The Independent

Events

48 h. ago Researchers report genetic homogeneity risks in kelp aquaculture across China

Researchers report genetic homogeneity risks in kelp aquaculture across China  Phys.org

Events

50 h. ago Over 700 US scholars of China urge Rubio to pause student visa limits

More than 700 American scholars of China have signed a petition urging US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to pause moves to impose visa restrictions against Chinese students. The petition sent to America’s top diplomat on Friday comes about a week after he announced the State Department would “aggressively” revoke visas of Chinese students, including those with “connections” to China’s Communist Party and in “critical fields” as well as apply extra scrutiny to future applicants from mainland...

Politics

54 h. ago US holds off on labeling China a currency manipulator; warns Beijing on currency practices; keeps future

US holds off on labeling China a currency manipulator; warns Beijing on currency practices; keeps future  Times of India

Events

56 h. ago Vietnam bride gets lavish dowry of 100 civet cats worth US$70,000 to create income

A Vietnamese woman who received a lavish dowry from her parents of 100 civet cats, gold bars, cash, company shares and several high-value properties has shocked social media. The unidentified 22-year-old comes from southwestern Vietnam and was married last May. As part of her dowry, her parents gave her 100 female civet cats, all capable of breeding, with an estimated total value of 1.8 billion Vietnamese dong (US$70,000). It also included 25 taels of gold, 500 million dong (US$20,000) in cash,...

Politics

59 h. ago No more free rides: Japan’s health insurance crackdown on tourists

Japan is considering making health insurance mandatory for foreign tourists as part of a crackdown on unpaid medical bills, with authorities also planning to share details of defaulters with immigration officials to prevent future abuse of the healthcare system. The proposals come in response to growing concern that some visitors are receiving treatment and then leaving the country without paying, forcing Japanese hospitals – and by extension taxpayers – to absorb the costs. According to a study...

Politics

61 h. ago Chinese student’s Harvard speech, Hokkaido tremors spark worry: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Harvard speech sparks China debate on elite education access, privilege Emotional remarks by a Chinese student who delivered this year’s Harvard University commencement speech have sparked a debate in China about barriers to elite education. 2. Military mishap risks rise with...

Politics

61 h. ago Singapore’s 1880 shuts in Hong Kong, Japanese men on staying young: 7 highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Harvard speech sparks China debate on elite education access, privilege Emotional remarks by a Chinese student who delivered this year’s Harvard University commencement speech have sparked a debate in China about barriers to elite education. 2. Military mishap risks rise with...

Politics

3 d. ago Trump’s Harvard ban, how early birds conquered the skies: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump orders immediate ban on new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard The administration of US President Donald Trump has formally barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, citing the institution’s failure to address national security risks on campus. 2. Russia moves again to join with China and India despite their trust...

Politics

3 d. ago China’s ‘milestone’ engine, battery scientist leaves US: SCMP daily highlights

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Trump orders immediate ban on new Chinese and other foreign students at Harvard The administration of US President Donald Trump has formally barred Harvard University from enrolling international students, citing the institution’s failure to address national security risks on campus. 2. Russia moves again to join with China and India despite their trust...

Science

3 d. ago Hong Kong producer Raymond Wong to plead not guilty to insider trading

Film producer and actor Raymond Wong Pak-ming planned to plead not guilty to the alleged insider trading offences brought by Hong Kong’s securities watchdog, according to his legal representative. Wong, 79, is being prosecuted by the Securities and Futures Commission for alleged insider trading concerning shares in Transmit Entertainment, a television series production company previously known as Pegasus Entertainment Holdings. The watchdog alleges that the defendant, who was Pegasus...

Politics

3 d. ago Philippines urged to ratify UN marine resource treaty or risk being sidelined

France is stepping up its diplomacy in Asia to gather support for a key United Nations treaty on marine resource protection, warning that any delay in its ratification could leave the Philippines and other regional countries on the sidelines of a crucial global conference next week. Only 29 countries have ratified the landmark High Seas Treaty – also known as the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty – which requires ratifications by at least 60 countries to...

Events

3 d. ago Pakistan’s bitcoin reserve plan aims to turn energy surplus into tech investment

Following in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump’s administration, Pakistan plans to create a sovereign bitcoin reserve powered by unused electricity in a bold bid to monetise its energy oversupply and attract foreign tech investors. Analysts warn that the high-risk strategy could strain Pakistan’s fragile power grid, raise red flags with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and expose Islamabad to cryptocurrency market volatility. However, some argue it could also help diversify the...

Science

3 d. ago Australia's Lynas surges as automakers flag risks from China's rare

Australia's Lynas surges as automakers flag risks from China's rare-earth export curbs  Reuters

Events

3 d. ago Australia’s Albanese to meet China’s Xi in Beijing this summer: source

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to become the latest world leader to travel to Beijing for trade talks, as countries around the world scramble to navigate the turbulence unleashed by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. The Australian leader is expected to arrive in the Chinese capital in July or August, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Post on condition of anonymity, with the European Union also scheduled to hold a crunch summit with China during the...

Politics