News From © SCMP News
 | Australian police find body in search for missing indigenous girl, 5 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Tourists overrun Australia’s most Instagrammed street, driving locals to the brink 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | India overtakes England to become Australia’s largest migrant group 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | New Zealand officials reject statue remembering Japan’s WWII sex slaves 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | India, New Zealand boost trade diversification with ‘forward-looking’ pact 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Without diplomacy, deterrence in Asia is a path to escalation “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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | India, New Zealand sign ‘once-in-a-generation’ free-trade deal 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Why US-led security alliances in Asia are losing coherence 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Will China’s deal with Australian mining giant BHP boost yuan internationalisation? 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia’s US$7 billion Japan warship deals signals shift from US overreliance 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Pacific Islanders skip food, medicine amid global fuel shortage from Iran war 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Indians slam New Zealand minister for ‘butter chicken tsunami’ remarks: ‘outright racism’ 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Asian financial bodies sound alert on Anthropic’s Mythos AI hacker 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | New Zealand declares emergency in Wellington as record rainfall triggers flash floods 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Singapore tycoon wants banks to pay US$1 billion for collapse of Australian NewSat 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Air New Zealand invites economy passengers to join mile-high sleep club in world first 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia acts to protect winter crops with emergency Indonesian fertiliser deal 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Malaysia and Australia strike energy supply pledge to bypass Iran war disruptions 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Indian man charged with sexual assault of passenger on Singapore-Perth Scoot flight 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Fire at Australian refinery fuels petrol shortage fears amid global oil crisis 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | In Pacific Ocean, Super Typhoon Sinlakua bears down on group of remote US islands 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia pledges US$1.7 million in aid after Cyclone Maila kills 11 in Pacific 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... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia appoints first female army chief in ‘historic’ reshuffle of military top brass Australia said on Monday that a woman would lead its army for the first time in history, as part of a reshuffle of the country’s defence force leadership. Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will become chief of army in July, the government said in a statement. She will replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart. Coyle’s appointment comes as Australia’s military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It faces a wave of allegations of... Source: © SCMP News |
 | ‘Cautious optimism’ in Asia after US, Iran agree to ceasefire, reopen Hormuz President Donald Trump’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran that will see Tehran temporarily reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz brought welcome relief to Asian markets on Wednesday. With Trump’s deadline approaching for the Islamic Republic to reopen the waterway or face obliteration, he announced a halt to attacks for two weeks and said he had received a “workable” 10-point proposal. Iran later said it had agreed to safe passage in the strait, through which a fifth of... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Decorated Australian soldier faces 5 murder charges in Afghan war crime probe One of Australia’s most-decorated soldiers was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly murdering unarmed prisoners while serving in Afghanistan, police and local media said following a sweeping war crimes investigation. The Australian Federal Police said they arrested a 47-year-old former Australian soldier, who was widely named in local media as Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith. Federal police commissioner Krissy Barrett said the soldier had been linked to a string of murders while serving... Source: © SCMP News |
 | In Asia-Pacific, the real maritime contest is over satellite surveillance Control of the seas has long defined power in the Asia-Pacific. From strategic chokepoints to contested fishing grounds, maritime space has shaped the region’s economic lifelines and geopolitical tensions. But a quieter contest is unfolding – less visible, yet potentially more consequential. It is not a contest over territory but over data. As satellite surveillance, digital tracking and advanced analytics transform how the ocean is monitored, a new question emerges: who controls the information... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia receives fuel export guarantees from Singapore, Japan Australia’s government has received guarantees from major fuel exporting nations in Asia that supplies will proceed as normal despite the disruptions caused by the war in Iran, Assistant Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said. In an interview with Sky News on Sunday, Thistlethwaite said that he had sought and received pledges from Japan, South Korea and Singapore that shipments of fuel to Australia would continue, amid concerns that some countries might curb exports to... Source: © SCMP News |
 | New Zealand doctor bills US embassy for rising fuel costs: ‘payment expected within 7 days’ A New Zealand doctor has sent the US embassy in Wellington an invoice for his clinic’s fuel bills, saying that President Donald Trump and his administration should take responsibility for starting a war that has sent oil prices spiralling. Shane Dunphy asked the embassy to reimburse him for the NZ$2,790.95 (US$1,600) in petrol vouchers he gave staff at Onslow Medical Centre in the capital so that they could travel to work, The Guardian newspaper reported. “Because of the current fuel crisis,... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia’s Albanese says Iran war goals met, asks what more is left to achieve Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the US-Israeli war on Iran appears to have achieved its key initial aims of curbing Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities – and questioned what further goals remain. “We did express support for the original objectives: preventing Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon and degrading its capacity to endanger its neighbours,” Albanese said in a speech on Thursday at the National Press Club in Canberra. “And now those objectives have been... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia and Japan face jet fuel supply crunch as China cuts exports China’s exports of jet fuel have declined sharply in recent weeks amid the US-Israel war on Iran, leaving countries including Australia and Japan facing a supply crunch and scrambling to find alternative sellers. China is Asia-Pacific’s largest jet fuel and kerosene exporter, but shipments from the country fell nearly 40 per cent month on month in March to 204,000 barrels per day, figures from trade data provider Kpler showed. The cutback is likely to hit hardest in Australia and Japan, which... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Dog lost for a week in New Zealand bush found after strangers fund US$6,300 air search When a hiker fell from a 55-metre (180-foot) waterfall in wild New Zealand bush, rescuers were forced to evacuate the badly hurt woman without her dog, which could not be found. After strangers raised thousands of dollars for a search, border collie Molly was flown to safety by a helicopter pilot who was determined to reunite pet and owner. A week earlier, an emergency rescue helicopter found Jessica Johnston with bruises and lacerations after a fall at a rocky spot at the waterfall on the South... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australian police killer shot dead after 7-month manhunt Australian police said on Monday that they shot dead a fugitive gunman wanted for killing two officers, ending a seven-month manhunt for one of the country’s most-wanted criminals. Desmond Freeman fled into dense bushland in August last year after shooting and killing two police officers on a rural property in Victoria state. Hundreds of police have pursued Freeman through the region’s rugged terrain over the past seven months, pouring resources into one of Australia’s largest manhunts. Police... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia’s Karratha LNG plant closed after cyclone amid fuel shortages At least one of the world’s largest LNG plants remained closed on Sunday after a cyclone knocked out power to thousands of people in Western Australia. The outages were restricting already stretched fuel supplies caused by the war in the Middle East. Woodside Energy, which processes fuel from one of the world’s biggest offshore gas operations, said on Sunday that its Karratha plant remained offline. “We have commenced remobilising our workforce to some of our offshore facilities and inspections... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Man extradited from Singapore to New Zealand faces rape, home invasion charges A Chinese national accused of raping and strangling a woman during a violent home invasion appeared in a New Zealand court on Wednesday to face charges, seven months after he was extradited from Singapore. Zhang Xuesong reportedly fled to China following the alleged March 2024 Auckland break-in, complicating efforts to arrest him as no extradition treaty exists between the two countries. The 41-year-old subsequently visited Singapore, where he was returned to New Zealand last September. Zhang,... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australian police officer’s ‘perverts’ remark against Indian driver sparks outrage Distrust in Australian police among Queensland’s Indian diaspora is set to deepen after an officer was caught on body camera hurling expletives at an Uber driver, leading the victim to sue the force in federal court. The officer said, “f*****g Indians, mate, they are a bunch of f*****g perverts” to a colleague in 2023, before they charged the man with committing an indecent act for allegedly masturbating in public, court records showed. A court later quashed the charges because two witnesses... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Iran says women’s football captain has withdrawn Australia asylum bid The captain of the Iranian women’s football team which played in the Asian Cup in Australia has withdrawn her bid for asylum, state media said on Sunday, making her the fifth member of the delegation to change her mind. A former player and a Persian-language television channel based outside Iran said the players had been pressured to reverse their stance through threats against families back home. But Iranian authorities have in turn accused Australia of pressuring the players to stay. Captain... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia walks ‘very fine line’ with Gulf deployment amid Iran war Australia’s decision to send a surveillance aircraft and air-to-air missiles to the Gulf highlights the difficult position the country now faces: supporting US and regional partners while trying to avoid being drawn deeper into the widening conflict. Analysts said the government was “walking a very fine line” with the deployment, signalling support for partners under Iranian attack while stopping short of committing Australia to offensive operations. At the same time, they said Canberra was... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia to send missiles to UAE, deploy reconnaissance plane, but no troops Australia will deploy a military surveillance aircraft to the Middle East and send missiles to the United Arab Emirates but will not put troops on the ground in Iran, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. Australia’s military support would help the Gulf countries defend themselves against unprovoked attacks from Iran, Albanese said, stressing Australia was “not a protagonist”. “Our involvement is purely defensive,” Albanese told reporters. “And it’s in defence of Australians who... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia grants asylum to 5 Iranian women footballers after anthem controversy Five players from Iran’s visiting women’s football team claimed asylum in Australia on Tuesday, seeking protection after they were branded “traitors” at home for refusing to sing the national anthem. Iranian players fell silent as the anthem played ahead of a tournament match in Australia last week, an act seen as a symbol of defiance against the Islamic Republic. US President Donald Trump was among those urging Australia to offer the players asylum, citing grave fears for their safety if they... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia complains to China after encounter between military helicopters Australia has raised concerns with China following an “unsafe and unprofessional” encounter between two military helicopters, the defence department said on Friday. An Australian military helicopter was flying over international waters in the Yellow Sea when it was intercepted by a Chinese helicopter on Wednesday, a statement said. The Chinese helicopter matched the Australian aircraft’s altitude before “closing in to an unsafe distance”, increasing speed and then rolling towards it,... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Albanese says Australian troops were on board US submarine that sank Iranian ship Three Australian military personnel were on board an American submarine that sank an Iranian navy ship off Sri Lanka this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday. Speaking to Sky News, Albanese said: “I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel”. The personnel were on board the submarine as part of training arrangements under Aukus, a multidecade defence pact with Britain and the United States, Albanese said. “These are long-standing third country... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Asian airlines emerge on top as travellers fight for flights out of Middle East Asian carriers are among the best positioned airlines to weather the war in the Middle East as travellers scramble for flights – and pay premiums – to escape the conflict. Asian airlines have emerged as one of the go-to choices for people leaving the Middle East in the wake of US and Israeli strikes on Iran. Extensive airspace closures mean carriers like Emirates and Qatar Airways have essentially ground to a halt, creating opportunities for rivals that can fly non-stop between Europe and... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia’s best-paid jobs are twice as likely to go to men as to women Men are almost twice as likely as women to be employed in the best-paid jobs in Australia, according to the country’s latest government gender gap report. Male employees account for 64 per cent of roles in the nation’s upper quartile of compensation, jobs that have a total average annual pay of A$221,320 (US$155,000), the Workplace Gender Equality Agency said in a report on Tuesday. Though female representation in the top category has increased slightly, women remain 1.4 times more likely than... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Tourism, once New Zealand’s top overseas earner, lags behind dairy post-pandemic New Zealand’s tourism industry still needs to do more if it is to regain its title as the nation’s biggest earner of overseas revenue. While foreign visitor spending gained 7 per cent to a record NZ$18.1 billion (US$11 billion) in the 12 months through March 2025, it still lags behind the dairy industry’s NZ$23.1 billion of exports in the same period, according to government data released on Tuesday in Wellington. Tourism overtook dairy as the nation’s top overseas earner in 2016 and remained... Source: © SCMP News |
 | El Nino may return in 2026, making the planet even hotter The warming El Nino weather phenomenon could form later this year, potentially pushing global temperatures to record heights. There is a 50-60 per cent chance of El Nino developing during the July-September period and beyond, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The World Meteorological Organization will issue an update on El Nino on Tuesday. Here’s what you need to know about El Nino and its cooler sister, La Nina. Why the name? El Nino and La Nina are two... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australia mulls forcing app stores, search engines to axe unsafe AI services Australia’s internet regulator said it might push search engines and app stores to block artificial intelligence services that failed to verify user ages after a review found more than half had not made public any steps to comply by a deadline next week. The warning reflects one of the most aggressive efforts globally to rein in AI companies, which face a growing number of lawsuits for failing to stop – and even encouraging – self-harm or violence, while researchers caution that such platforms... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Wellington mayor takes dip to prove sea is safe after sewage leak in New Zealand The mayor of New Zealand’s capital city took an afternoon dip on Wednesday hoping to assuage public fears after a breakdown at a local waste water treatment plant pumped raw sewage into the ocean and sprayed faecal matter on coastal homes. Millions of litres of raw sewage have flowed into the waters off Wellington’s picturesque south coast beaches since the breakdown of the Moa Point facility on February 4. Sporting swimming trunks and a rash guard shirt, Mayor Andrew Little dived face first... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australian OnlyFans model’s Bali bikini theft triggers death threats Australian OnlyFans model Gemma Doyle has faced a torrent of online abuse and death threats after being caught stealing a bikini from a boutique “for fun” while holidaying in Bali. Doyle, 26, apologised and admitted to shoplifting the garment from a boutique on the Indonesian resort island after CCTV footage of the incident circulated on social media. “I am aware of the stories going around and it’s true, I was on one and I was being a bit silly and I stole a swimsuit,” she said in a video... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Australian citizen in Syria with alleged Isis ties banned from returning home Canberra banned an Australian citizen with alleged ties to the militant Islamic State (Isis) group from returning home from a detention camp in Syria, the latest development in the case of fraught repatriation of families of Isis fighters. The woman was planning to join another 33 Australians – 10 women and 23 children – and fly on Monday from Damascus, Syria, to Australia, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Wednesday. But the group was turned back by Syrian authorities to the Roj... Source: © SCMP News |
 | Japan to join US-Philippines military drills for first time: ‘knowing your friend’ Japan plans to deploy 300 elite ground soldiers to the Philippines for this year’s Salaknib military exercise, marking the first time the bilateral US-Philippine drills will include troops from additional partners. Officials and analysts say the move signals an operational shift away from simple bilateral engagements towards tight-knit “minilateral” security coordination among US allies, with a growing focus on remote island defence and contingencies in the Taiwan Strait and the South China... Source: © SCMP News |