https://www.scmp.com/rss/517783/feed The latest news on Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, including China-Australia relations and China-Australia trade. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Japan and Australia agreed to step up collaboration in areas including critical minerals, defence and energy security, tackling China’s dominance of rare earths and fuel-supply disruptions caused by the Iran war. “Australia and Japan are taking action to protect our economies from future economic shocks and uncertainty,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement after meeting his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi, in Canberra. “By working together, we will achieve more... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352493/takaichi-signs-australia-deals-boost-japans-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352493/takaichi-signs-australia-deals-boost-japans-energy-security?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 09:00:09 +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 Alice Li Alice Li The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new financing facility aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains across the Asia-Pacific region, as a global push to loosen China’s chokehold over the sector continues. The initiative is designed to help Asia-Pacific nations move up the critical minerals value chain – moving beyond just mining – by equipping them with the technical capabilities to process and recycle the materials, according to the ADB. “Asia and the Pacific should be... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352352/asia-races-de-risk-critical-minerals-supply-chain-new-financing-tool?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 08:15:00 +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 Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao Cao Jiaxuan,Shi Jiangtao China will work with Australian businesses on jet fuel shipments in an important “first step” in alleviating supply crunches, according to Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. The agreement came on Wednesday as part of Wong’s talks in Beijing with her Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “Inputs China supplies to Australia, including jet fuel, support the Australian resources sector, which in turn helps to maintain the flow of commodities that are so important in the bilateral trading relationship,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351964/why-chinas-jet-fuel-deal-australia-underscores-canberras-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 06:16:19 +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 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 Reuters Reuters 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349850/australia-appoints-first-female-army-chief-historic-reshuffle-military-top-brass?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3349850/australia-appoints-first-female-army-chief-historic-reshuffle-military-top-brass?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:40:59 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore and Australia pledged on Friday to keep fuel and gas flowing between them as the Middle East conflict rattled global energy markets, with both sides also working towards a legally binding agreement on essential supplies. At a joint press conference in Singapore, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Canberra stood ready to supply more liquefied natural gas (LNG) if the city state needed it, while Albanese’s Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong said his government would... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349689/singapore-australia-vow-uninterrupted-fuel-supply-amid-global-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349689/singapore-australia-vow-uninterrupted-fuel-supply-amid-global-energy-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:40:41 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China and Australia should intensify exchanges on energy security amid complex global geopolitics, Canberra said on Tuesday as spillover from the US-Israel war against Iran continued to endanger the world economy. In a phone conversation on Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese Premier Li Qiang discussed the importance of energy security “in light of the current global challenges” and agreed to increase government-to-government communication to support regional energy... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3349341/neighbours-matter-more-ever-china-australia-vow-more-contact-amid-global-tension?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 06:27:41 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348745/australias-albanese-says-iran-war-goals-met-asks-what-more-left-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3348745/australias-albanese-says-iran-war-goals-met-asks-what-more-left-achieve?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 04:45:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346688/iran-says-womens-football-captain-has-withdrawn-australia-asylum-bid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346688/iran-says-womens-football-captain-has-withdrawn-australia-asylum-bid?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 18:00:12 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow 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... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346459/australia-walks-very-fine-line-gulf-deployment-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3346459/australia-walks-very-fine-line-gulf-deployment-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2026 05:39:28 +0000 Reuters Reuters 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346027/australia-send-missiles-uae-deploy-reconnaissance-plane-no-troops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3346027/australia-send-missiles-uae-deploy-reconnaissance-plane-no-troops?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:15:31 +0000 dpa dpa Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the royal line of succession over his “deplorable” links to Jeffrey Epstein. The former duke was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with the paedophile financier while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Carney said: “I certainly think his actions are deplorable and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345792/canadas-carney-wants-andrew-removed-uk-line-succession-over-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345792/canadas-carney-wants-andrew-removed-uk-line-succession-over-epstein-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 05:00:13 +0000 Donald Rothwell Donald Rothwell The Iranian diaspora has been celebrating and governments around the world have generally not mourned the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in last weekend’s US and Israeli air strikes on Iran. While there has been much political justification for these attacks from Washington and Israel, neither has sought to legally justify their conduct. No real effort has been made to reference the acknowledged right of self-defence, most likely because the evidence did not exist. In other words, there was no... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3345741/australia-needs-make-its-stance-iran-attacks-known?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345638/albanese-says-australian-troops-were-board-us-submarine-sank-iranian-ship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3345638/albanese-says-australian-troops-were-board-us-submarine-sank-iranian-ship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Mar 2026 01:11:07 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The killing of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli air strikes has prompted governments across Muslim-majority South and Southeast Asia to reiterate calls for restraint as protests flared in several cities, with some religious and political movements hailing the cleric as a “martyr”. Iranian state media confirmed Khamenei’s death on Sunday and declared a 40-day mourning period, casting the assassination as a pivotal moment for the Islamic Republic he had led since... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345014/death-irans-khamenei-sparks-outrage-and-calls-restraint-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345014/death-irans-khamenei-sparks-outrage-and-calls-restraint-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:57:35 +0000 Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Wendy Wu,Laura Zhou,Zhuang Pinghui Khushboo Razdan,Lucy Quaggin,Teresa Elena Frontado,Wendy Wu,Laura Zhou,Zhuang Pinghui Iran has confirmed the death of its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US and Israeli air strikes on the weekend, raising questions for the next leader of a country in a region bracing for further attacks. US President Donald Trump called Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and said the strikes delivered justice for Iranians, Americans and others “killed or mutilated” by him. As the US and Israeli attacks on Iran entered a second day, Tehran declared a seven-day public... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344994/global-powers-divided-china-expresses-deep-concern-over-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3344994/global-powers-divided-china-expresses-deep-concern-over-us-israel-strikes-iran?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:48:19 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press 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... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343932/australian-citizen-syria-alleged-isis-ties-banned-returning-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343932/australian-citizen-syria-alleged-isis-ties-banned-returning-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Feb 2026 12:16:32 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia unveiled AU$3.9 billion (US$2.8 billion) in spending on Sunday as a “down payment” on a new facility to build nuclear submarines under the tripartite Aukus security pact with Britain and the United States. The Aukus pact aims to arm Australia with a fleet of cutting-edge submarines from the United States and would provide for cooperation in developing an array of warfare technologies. The submarines, the sale of which will begin in 2032, lie at the heart of Australia’s strategy of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343637/australia-unveils-billions-new-nuclear-submarines-under-aukus-security-pact?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343637/australia-unveils-billions-new-nuclear-submarines-under-aukus-security-pact?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:12:22 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Australia is demanding criminal charges over a 2024 Israeli air strike on an aid convoy in Gaza that killed seven people, including an Australian aid worker, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday in a case that has drawn sweeping condemnation and strained relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he conveyed the request to visiting Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a meeting earlier in the day. Australian Zomi Frankcom was one of four World Central... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343184/australia-presses-israels-herzog-criminal-charges-over-strike-killing-zomi-frankcom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343184/australia-presses-israels-herzog-criminal-charges-over-strike-killing-zomi-frankcom?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:10:36 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Australia has summoned the Laotian ambassador to protest against what a victim’s family described as an “absolute injustice” after 10 people linked to a deadly methanol poisoning case received suspended sentences and fines equivalent to US$130. The case stems from a fatal incident in the riverside town of Vang Vieng, a popular tourist destination in Laos, in November 2024. Melbourne teenagers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles, both 19, died after drinking methanol-tainted alcohol at Nana... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3343154/australia-demands-answers-laos-over-methanol-poisoning-injustice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3343154/australia-demands-answers-laos-over-methanol-poisoning-injustice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 05:20:48 +0000 Reuters Reuters Thousands gathered across Australia on Monday to protest the arrival of Israeli ‍President Isaac Herzog, who is on a multi-city trip aimed at expressing solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following a deadly mass shooting last year. Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach ⁠that killed 15. The visit has attracted the ire of some... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3342906/israeli-president-herzogs-visit-australia-met-protests?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3342906/israeli-president-herzogs-visit-australia-met-protests?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 07:47:53 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words Hours after landing in Beijing for a landmark visit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer sat down for a meal heavy with symbolism. By choosing the same Yunnanese restaurant favoured by Janet Yellen, the US treasury secretary during the Biden administration, and even ordering the... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3342624/uk-needs-independent-china-policy-not-just-trump-hedge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3342624/uk-needs-independent-china-policy-not-just-trump-hedge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Shi Jiangtao Shi Jiangtao China’s engagement with traditional US allies amid the turmoil of Donald Trump’s presidency may be a sign that it is moving away from its customary diplomatic approach in favour of a “wedge strategy” that some observers believe may help reshape global dynamics. They point to the ways US partners are trying to keep as many doors open as possible – to insure themselves against both an erratic Washington and increasingly assertive Beijing. At Davos last month, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342717/traditional-us-allies-hedge-their-bets-will-china-be-one-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 02:00:15 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia and Indonesia’s leaders signed a security deal on Friday, one of a series of agreements that Canberra has secured with neighbouring countries to reinforce ties and limit China’s influence in the region. At a signing ceremony, President Prabowo Subianto met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said before he travelled to Jakarta that the pact was a “watershed moment” in ties. It “represents a major extension of our security and defence cooperation and demonstrates that our relationship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342607/australia-indonesia-sign-deal-extend-security-cooperation-watershed-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 04:55:37 +0000 Carol Yang Carol Yang Panama’s decision to invalidate port contracts with a Hong Kong-based conglomerate is sending shock waves through global port investment, analysts warn, creating a destabilising precedent amid rising geopolitical fragmentation. Tensions are escalating in the Central American nation following a top court’s ruling that voided CK Hutchison Holdings’ port concession – a long-term agreement granting rights to operate a port – from the 1990s as “unconstitutional”. The local port authority later said... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342521/panamas-dangerous-precedent-why-global-ports-appear-pawns-politics-trump-contracts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342521/panamas-dangerous-precedent-why-global-ports-appear-pawns-politics-trump-contracts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:30:11 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Any decision by Australia to regain control of Darwin Port is likely to differ from Panama’s move to nullify a contract on its geostrategically vital canal, as fears of Chinese retaliation and a limited security consensus limit Canberra’s options, analysts said – though they warned the issue could still reopen strains in the bilateral relationship. Panama’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday against a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, ending its rights to operate two ports on the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342192/china-ties-make-darwin-port-bigger-test-australia-panama-port-dispute-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3342192/china-ties-make-darwin-port-bigger-test-australia-panama-port-dispute-analysts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:54:32 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim In the first few weeks of this year alone, the leaders of two of the five “eyes” in the world’s oldest intelligence-sharing alliance signalled they were ready to rethink their relationship with China. First came Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and then this week it was the turn of his British counterpart, Keir Starmer. And in both cases, the visits have prompted warnings from US President Donald Trump. As Western economies grapple with the unpredictability and at times hostility of the White... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341885/canada-and-uk-hit-refresh-china-ties-end-five-eyes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Jan 2026 01:00:13 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen Beijing has pledged to step in if Canberra commits to regaining control of a strategic port in northern Australia that is leased to a Chinese firm. Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said on Wednesday that Beijing “has the obligation to take measures” to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese companies overseas if the port of Darwin were taken back through a forced sale, according to Australian media reports. During last year’s successful re-election campaign, Australian Prime Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3341574/china-will-step-if-australia-moves-regain-control-darwin-port-envoy-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:39 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia passed tougher hate crime and gun laws on Tuesday, weeks after gunmen targeting a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach killed 15 people. Lawmakers in both houses of parliament voted in favour of the legislation in response to the December 14 shooting at Sydney’s most famous beach. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed allegedly attacked a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in the nation’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades. The shooting has sparked national soul-searching about antisemitism,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340599/australia-stiffens-hate-crime-gun-laws-after-bondi-jewish-festival-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340599/australia-stiffens-hate-crime-gun-laws-after-bondi-jewish-festival-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 13:35:59 +0000 Reuters Reuters The number of firearms in Australia reached an all-time high of more than 4 ‌million in 2025, the centre-left government reported on Sunday, ‍a day after saying it would introduce a gun reform bill in parliament in response to the Bondi massacre. There were a record 4,113,735 guns in Australia last year, with ⁠1,158,654 of those in the most populous state of New South Wales where the Bondi attack took place, the government said, citing Department of Home Affairs data. The Labour government on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340336/australia-faces-record-guns-bondi-massacre-prompts-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340336/australia-faces-record-guns-bondi-massacre-prompts-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 12:01:16 +0000 Lucy Quaggin,Khushboo Razdan Lucy Quaggin,Khushboo Razdan Australia’s former prime minister and a prominent China scholar, Kevin Rudd, will step down as ambassador to the United States a year ahead of schedule, a move some analysts say underscores a fundamental shift in how Canberra must navigate a Washington increasingly centred on the personal rapport with US President Donald Trump. The resignation follows a period of heightened friction between Rudd and Trump, punctuated by the “America first” leader’s blunt public declaration in October 2025 that... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339796/not-trump-compatible-china-expert-rudd-exits-australias-us-ambassador-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3339796/not-trump-compatible-china-expert-rudd-exits-australias-us-ambassador-role?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 22:28:45 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, is stepping down, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday, a year ‍earlier than expected following criticism from US President Donald Trump. Rudd, a former Australian prime minister, is returning to head the Asia Society think tank and will finish his posting in March, Albanese told a news conference. “Australia and the ⁠United States are the closest of friends and allies, and this will never change,” he said. “We will continue to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339657/australian-ambassador-hated-trump-leave-us-post-early?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3339657/australian-ambassador-hated-trump-leave-us-post-early?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:59:28 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words The Bondi Beach shooting in Sydney that turned a Hanukkah celebration into a scene of terror and grief was an attack not only on the Jewish community but on the very idea of a cohesive, peaceful society. It is deeply disturbing that 15 people, including a Holocaust survivor, were... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3339291/bondi-response-must-go-beyond-policing-and-towards-rebuilding-unity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3339291/bondi-response-must-go-beyond-policing-and-towards-rebuilding-unity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:30:11 +0000 dpa dpa Australian authorities on Tuesday said there would be an increased police presence in Sydney on New Year’s Eve, less than three weeks after 15 people were killed in the Bondi terror attack. More than 2,500 officers will be on high-visibility patrols in Sydney on Wednesday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said in a statement. NSW Premier Chris Minns said Wednesday would see the “largest deployment of police for a New Year’s Eve celebration ever”. The measures are in place to help people feel safe,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338222/increased-police-presence-sydney-new-years-eve-following-bondi-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338222/increased-police-presence-sydney-new-years-eve-following-bondi-terror-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 23:00:14 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bondi Beach shooting hero Ahmed al Ahmed recalled the moment he ran towards one of the attackers and wrestled the gun from him, saying in an interview published on Monday with a US outlet he wanted to protect “innocent people”. Father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram are accused of targeting a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people and wounding dozens in what authorities have described as an antisemitic terrorist attack. Despite the tragedy, tales of heroism... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338050/bondi-beach-attack-hero-ahmed-al-ahmed-wanted-protect-innocent-people?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338050/bondi-beach-attack-hero-ahmed-al-ahmed-wanted-protect-innocent-people?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 10:52:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was booed by an angry crowd gathered at the famous Bondi Beach on Sunday to honour the victims of a gun attack ‍a week earlier that targeted a seaside Jewish Hanukkah festival event. The nation marked a day of reflection on Sunday to honour the 15 people killed and the dozens wounded in the attack by two gunmen. With security tight and flags at half-staff on government buildings, a minute of silence was held at 6.47pm local time, the time the attack... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337255/australian-pm-albanese-booed-bondi-beach-attack-victims-honoured?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337255/australian-pm-albanese-booed-bondi-beach-attack-victims-honoured?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 22:10:04 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse One of the two alleged Bondi Beach shooters visited a gun store during their stay in the Philippines, police said on Saturday as they attempted to retrace the pair’s movements. An Australian counterterrorism team is investigating whether Sajid Akram and his son Naveed met with Islamist extremists during a nearly month-long visit to the southern island of Mindanao before the mass shooting that killed 15 people in Sydney six days ago. The staff of Davao City’s GV Hotel said this week that the two... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337179/bondi-shooter-sajid-akram-visited-philippine-gun-shop-attack-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337179/bondi-shooter-sajid-akram-visited-philippine-gun-shop-attack-police-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 10:15:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters When a gunman murdered 35 people in Tasmania in 1996, Australia’s political leaders united to implement some of the West’s toughest gun laws. Nearly three decades later, after 15 people were killed at a Jewish festival at Bondi Beach, consensus is more elusive. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s call for tighter gun controls is meeting resistance from ascendant right-wing populists and some mainstream conservatives, revealing a more polarised landscape that contrasts with Australia’s response to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337147/australias-albanese-faces-fierce-battle-over-gun-laws-after-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3337147/australias-albanese-faces-fierce-battle-over-gun-laws-after-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 01:10:21 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Extremist movements in the Philippines have come under scrutiny since it was revealed that two suspected terrorists had visited the country weeks before they killed 15 people in Australia, but observers argue that such threats have waned and officials should avoid “overreach” in linking the case. Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, had allegedly opened fire on people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration on Sunday. The older man was killed while Naveed was in critical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337025/philippines-being-unfairly-targeted-australias-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337025/philippines-being-unfairly-targeted-australias-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:48:02 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Random terror killings of innocent civilians are sickening events at any time. They are even more shocking when they occur in familiar surroundings. A case in point is the gun massacre of 15 people at Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach, an iconic attraction to visitors from around Australia and abroad, including many Hong Kong tourists and settlers who enjoy sightseeing, recreation and leisure there. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims, scores of injured and those left with mental scars... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336869/restoring-safety-and-unity-key-australia-bondi-shooting-aftermath?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3336869/restoring-safety-and-unity-key-australia-bondi-shooting-aftermath?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:15:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised a sweeping crackdown on hate, division and radicalisation on Thursday after a mass shooting killed 15 people at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach. “Australians are shocked and angry. I am angry. It is clear we need to do more to combat this evil scourge, much more,” Albanese told a news conference. The prime minister outlined a suite of measures to target extremist preachers, impose stiffer punishments and refuse or cancel visas for people who... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336847/australia-pushes-tougher-hate-speech-laws-after-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336847/australia-pushes-tougher-hate-speech-laws-after-bondi-beach-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 02:49:51 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Like many Australians strolling at Bondi Beach on long, warm summer evenings, Ahmed al Ahmed just wanted a cup of coffee with a friend. Around him, a bloody massacre erupted as two gunmen targeted Jews during Hanukkah festivities at a park close to the shore. Soon al Ahmed was creeping, bent over, between two parked cars, before barrelling directly towards one of the unsuspecting shooters. In footage that has been viewed millions of times around the world, the 44-year-old father can be seen... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336807/bondi-beach-shooting-millions-raised-hero-australia-who-stopped-gunman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336807/bondi-beach-shooting-millions-raised-hero-australia-who-stopped-gunman?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:38:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters A man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s famed Bondi Beach was charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, police said on Wednesday. The alleged father-and-son perpetrators killed 15 people on Sunday in an attack that shook Australia and intensified fears of rising antisemitism and violent extremism. Funerals of the Jewish victims of the attack began on Wednesday amid anger over how the gunmen – one of whom was briefly investigated for links to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336691/alleged-bondi-beach-shooter-face-charges-funerals-begin-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336691/alleged-bondi-beach-shooter-face-charges-funerals-begin-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Dec 2025 01:09:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Standing in the rain outside a suburban Sydney railway station, seventeen-year-old Naveed Akram stares into the camera and urges those watching to spread the word of Islam. “Spread the message that Allah is one wherever you can … whether it be raining, hailing or clear sky,” he said. Another since-deleted video posted in 2019 by Street Dawah Movement, a Sydney-based Islamic community group, shows him urging two young boys to pray more frequently. Authorities are now trying to piece together what... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336613/alleged-bondi-beach-shooters-radicalisation-shocks-australia-he-was-nice-person?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336613/alleged-bondi-beach-shooters-radicalisation-shocks-australia-he-was-nice-person?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 08:09:08 +0000