https://www.scmp.com/rss/519492/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jess Ma Jess Ma A mainland Chinese woman has been acquitted of submitting false academic qualifications in her application for Hong Kong’s talent scheme, with the judge saying she could have been defrauded by her agent during the process. Xu Lina, 36, was cleared of the charge at Sha Tin Court on Monday after Magistrate Raymond Wong Kwok-fai said the defendant might have been negligent in failing to check her application form before submitting it to the Immigration Department, but her actions did not amount to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349890/hong-kong-court-clears-woman-forging-qualifications-talent-scheme-application?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349890/hong-kong-court-clears-woman-forging-qualifications-talent-scheme-application?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:24:53 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro Last week, the energy shock caused by the war in Iran showed signs of becoming a full-blown financial and economic crisis. The attacks on energy infrastructure across the Middle East, coupled with soaring prices of crucial refined petroleum products such as diesel and jet fuel, forced investors to start pricing in a prolonged disruption to supply and a contraction in demand. Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens sooner than anticipated, the scale of the damage to energy assets in the Persian Gulf... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3347540/war-induced-interest-rate-shocks-unlikely-upset-asias-property-markets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Harvey Kong Harvey Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has suspended an academic who reportedly pleaded guilty to posing as a schoolboy to photograph pupils at an elite boys’ school in Australia. Australian media reported that Johnny Li Siu-hang, a professor at CUHK’s business school, was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly dressing in the uniform of the Sydney institution to mingle with pupils and take photos of them. A CUHK spokeswoman said on Friday evening that the university was aware of the incident... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345795/cuhk-professor-suspended-posing-schoolboy-take-photos-pupils-australia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3345795/cuhk-professor-suspended-posing-schoolboy-take-photos-pupils-australia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 06:40:52 +0000 Peggy Ye Peggy Ye From Sydney to Hong Kong, wealth migration is reshaping the global super-luxury property market as activity picks up after two subdued years – though the dominance of relative newcomer Dubai is now being tested by the war in the Middle East. In Sydney, Peter Li, general manager at Plus Agency, said commission revenues on super-luxury homes had risen about 20 per cent from a year earlier. The firm, which handles more than US$300 million in annual sales, has hired six new staff members since... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345695/worlds-wealthy-relocate-rewriting-property-map-will-hong-kong-win-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345695/worlds-wealthy-relocate-rewriting-property-map-will-hong-kong-win-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2026 03:00:16 +0000 Cao Li Cao Li Singapore is the most expensive city in the Asia-Pacific region to outfit an office, driven by increased labour costs, a shortage of contractors and strict building standards, according to real estate consultancy Knight Frank. The city had the highest average fit-out cost at US$2,029 per square metre – ahead of Tokyo (US$1,994) and Taipei (US$1,593) – in the firm’s survey of 23 cities across Australasia, East Asia, Southeast Asia and India. It was also the most expensive place to set up an... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345398/singapore-offices-cost-most-outfit-asia-pacific-survey-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3345398/singapore-offices-cost-most-outfit-asia-pacific-survey-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 08:30:32 +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 I fully support the government’s plan to amend fire safety law by introducing fixed penalties for violations (“Tougher fire safety rules expected in new Hong Kong bill, including fixed penalties”, February 9). As a registered professional surveyor, I believe the current... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344818/hong-kong-cannot-allow-wait-and-see-approach-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3344818/hong-kong-cannot-allow-wait-and-see-approach-fire-safety?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Sydney man who tried to post native lizards, dragons and other reptiles out of Australia in bags of popcorn and biscuit tins has been sentenced to eight years in jail, authorities said on Tuesday. The eight-year term handed down on Friday was a record for wildlife smuggling, federal environment officials said. A district court in Sydney gave the man, 61-year-old Neil Simpson, a non-parole period of five years and four months. Investigators recovered 101 Australian reptiles from seized parcels... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343823/australian-smuggler-jailed-record-8-years-mailing-lizards-popcorn-bags?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343823/australian-smuggler-jailed-record-8-years-mailing-lizards-popcorn-bags?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 08:53:29 +0000 dpa dpa A man was killed and two other people critically injured on Tuesday in a stabbing attack in Australia’s financial capital, police said. Emergency services were called to a suburb in Sydney’s west at about 10am after reports that a man had stabbed multiple people before fleeing on foot, New South Wales Police said in a statement. The stabbing took place along a busy shopping strip. Paramedics treated three people for serious injuries, including a man aged in his thirties or forties who died at... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343792/sydney-stabbing-man-killed-random-attack-busy-shopping-street?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3343792/sydney-stabbing-man-killed-random-attack-busy-shopping-street?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:05:47 +0000 Cliff Buddle Cliff Buddle Lunar New Year, widely celebrated around the world, has long provided an opportunity for people unfamiliar with Chinese culture to engage with its festive traditions. The arrival of the Year of the Horse will be marked not only in Hong Kong, mainland China and other parts of Asia, but in cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Paris and Sydney. It is a global celebration enjoyed by Chinese communities and increasingly by non-Chinese participants at new year parades and related events.... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343595/social-medias-becoming-chinese-trend-can-only-be-force-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/article/3343595/social-medias-becoming-chinese-trend-can-only-be-force-good?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 15:15:07 +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 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 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Filipino actress and fashion influencer Heart Evangelista’s reappearance at Paris Fashion Week following scrutiny over her lavish lifestyle in previous months has drawn sharp criticism amid “unprecedented” public outrage linked to an unfolding corruption scandal plaguing the country. Public sentiment in the Philippines has been particularly negative against influencers such as Evangelista and other “nepo babies”, a term referring to flamboyant family members of wealthy politicians, officials and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342588/outrage-philippines-socialite-heart-evangelista-nepo-babies-return-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3342588/outrage-philippines-socialite-heart-evangelista-nepo-babies-return-spotlight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 05:30:09 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Hong Kong commercial real estate is the Asia-Pacific region’s fifth most favoured investment destination for cross-border capital this year, underscoring an improved outlook for the city’s battered property market, according to a CBRE report. Hong Kong also recorded the second-highest number of luxury residential property deals among 12 super-prime markets worldwide in the last quarter of 2025, sustaining a recovery that began in the second quarter, a report from Knight Frank showed. After a... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342451/hong-kong-back-top-choice-foreign-commercial-property-investors-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3342451/hong-kong-back-top-choice-foreign-commercial-property-investors-study-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:15:41 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Australian boy had died in hospital after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family said on Saturday after a series of shark attacks along the country’s east coast. Nico Antic, 12, was attacked on Sunday as he and friends were jumping off rocks in Vaucluse, around 9km (5.5 miles) from Sydney’s central business district. He was pulled from the water by friends and taken to hospital with severe injuries to both legs. “We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341094/australian-boy-12-dies-week-after-shark-attack-sydney-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3341094/australian-boy-12-dies-week-after-shark-attack-sydney-harbour?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 06:00:37 +0000 The Star The Star A 26-year-old Malaysian has been deported from Australia after border authorities found over 100 images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his mobile phone. The man arrived in Sydney and was selected for a device examination by the Australian Border Force (ABF). “On his phone, officers allegedly found over 100 images of CSAM, including anime and AI-generated pictures,” the ABF said in a statement. “The man was detained for questioning then sent back to Malaysia. This also resulted in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340775/australia-deports-malaysian-man-caught-child-sexual-abuse-material?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340775/australia-deports-malaysian-man-caught-child-sexual-abuse-material?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 03:45:06 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A 12-year-old boy was fighting for his life in hospital after being mauled by a large shark in Sydney Harbour, police in Australia said on Monday. The boy had been jumping off rocks with friends late on Sunday afternoon at Shark Beach in Vaucluse, around 9km (5.5 miles) from the central business district, when he was attacked by the shark. He ‍was pulled from the water by friends and emergency services with ‍severe injuries to both legs, and remains in a critical condition. “It was a horrendous... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340356/boy-12-fighting-life-after-sydney-harbour-shark-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3340356/boy-12-fighting-life-after-sydney-harbour-shark-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 23:43:54 +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 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 Agencies Agencies As Wednesday turned to Thursday, people around the world said goodbye to a sometimes challenging 2025 and expressed hopes for the ‍new year to come. In Croatia, celebrations got off to an early start. Since 2000, the town of Fuzine has held its countdown at noon, a tradition that has since spread across the country. Crowds cheered and toasted each other with champagne and danced ⁠to music – all in the middle of the day. Some brave souls in Santa hats took a plunge into the icy waters of Lake... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3338350/world-begins-bid-goodbye-2025-fireworks-and-icy-plunges?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:19:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Auckland was the first major city to ring in 2026 with a fireworks display launched from New Zealand’s tallest structure, Sky Tower, followed by a defiant celebration in Australia in the aftermath of a horrific mass shooting. South Pacific countries were the first to bid farewell to 2025. Clocks struck midnight in Auckland 18 hours before the famous ball drop in New York’s Times Square. The five-minute display involved 3,500 fireworks. Australia’s east coast welcomed 2026 two hours after New... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338342/australia-sees-defiant-start-2026-after-mass-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3338342/australia-sees-defiant-start-2026-after-mass-shooting?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 15:03:31 +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 Louis Wang Louis Wang “Be brave,” I told my 12-year-old daughter at the station steps. The words were as much for me as for her. Train pass – check. Phone, wallet, debit card – check. Rendezvous after her piano lesson – check. “And don’t miss your stop!” It was our third run-through of the checklist. “Dad, you’re such a fusspot. I’ll be fine,” she said, cringing as she hoisted her schoolbag. We’d made that trip to her piano teacher’s studio, near Town Hall station in the Sydney central business district, many times... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337501/traditional-chinese-parenting-101-sending-child-solo-mission?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3337501/traditional-chinese-parenting-101-sending-child-solo-mission?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:30:08 +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 Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called on Sunday for Jews in Western countries to move to Israel to escape rising antisemitism, one week after 15 were shot dead at a Jewish event in Sydney. “Jews have the right to live in safety everywhere. But we see and fully understand what is happening, and we have a certain historical experience. “Today, Jews are being hunted across the world,” Saar said at a public candle lighting marking the last day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. “Today I call... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337254/israeli-foreign-minister-urges-jews-move-israel-week-after-sydney-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337254/israeli-foreign-minister-urges-jews-move-israel-week-after-sydney-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:11:13 +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 Wenran Jiang Wenran Jiang Historians are likely to point to 2025 as the watershed in China’s 21st century ascent, a year in which the People’s Liberation Army’s power projection matured across all domains, resetting the global balance of power. This seismic shift is underscored by an unmistakable admission: the US has formally acknowledged the limits of its global reach in its new national security strategy and begun a strategic recalibration away from undisputed hegemony. These military and strategic realities are... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336668/2025-marked-end-pax-americanas-unipolar-moment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336668/2025-marked-end-pax-americanas-unipolar-moment?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 21:30:07 +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 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A father and son were driven by “Islamic State ideology” when they fired on Bondi Beach in one of Australia’s deadliest mass shootings, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday. Sajid Akram and his son Naveed opened fire on Jewish crowds thronging the famous beach for Hanukkah on Sunday evening, killing 15 people and wounding dozens more. Authorities said the attack was designed to sow panic among the nation’s Jews, but have so far given little detail on the gunmen’s deeper... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336556/bondi-beach-shooting-likely-motivated-islamic-state-ideology-albanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336556/bondi-beach-shooting-likely-motivated-islamic-state-ideology-albanese?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:47:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Australia will toughen gun laws after a father and son killed 15 people in the nation’s deadliest terror attack, opening fire on members of the Jewish community who were celebrating the start of Hanukkah at Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday. A 10-year-old girl, a Holocaust survivor and a local rabbi were among those killed, while 42 others were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds and other injuries. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese convened a meeting of the leaders of Australia’s states... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336504/australia-ponders-stricter-gun-laws-after-bondi-beach-massacre-father-and-son?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336504/australia-ponders-stricter-gun-laws-after-bondi-beach-massacre-father-and-son?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 10:38:59 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A Sydney man said he had received death threats and was “terrified” to leave his home on Monday after his photo was widely shared online as the gunman responsible for the Bondi Beach shooting. A father and son duo opened fire on a Jewish festival at Australia’s best-known beach on Sunday evening, killing 15 people, including a child, and wounding 42 more. Authorities have condemned the attack as an act of terrorism, although they have not named the two shooters. Police said one, aged 50, was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336491/terrified-australia-man-same-name-misidentified-sydneys-bondi-gunman?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336491/terrified-australia-man-same-name-misidentified-sydneys-bondi-gunman?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:33:55 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg A bystander who rushed towards and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers has won praise from leaders around the world. Extraordinary footage of the civilian’s actions began circulating on social media on Sunday, shortly after two men, later identified as a father and son, started shooting into a crowd gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. The massacre has left at least 16 people dead in the worst terrorist attack in Australia’s history. Officials have described the shooting on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336417/bondi-shooting-bystander-who-tackled-gunman-hailed-genuine-hero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336417/bondi-shooting-bystander-who-tackled-gunman-hailed-genuine-hero?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:50:03 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse World leaders voiced horror and revulsion at Sunday’s mass shooting in which 15 people were killed and dozens injured at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the “shocking and distressing” attack, which Australian police are calling a “terrorist” incident, was “beyond comprehension”, after assailants fired on a gathering celebrating the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Israel’s President Isaac Herzog condemned what he called a “very cruel attack on Jews” by “vile... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336413/world-leaders-express-horror-bondi-beach-terror-attack-vigils-are-held-victims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336413/world-leaders-express-horror-bondi-beach-terror-attack-vigils-are-held-victims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:49:55 +0000 dpa dpa Following the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Australia of not taking decisive action to tackle antisemitism. Netanyahu said in a statement that he had warned Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in a letter four months ago, stating that “the Australian government’s policy was promoting and encouraging antisemitism in Australia”. Australia and other leading nations formally recognised the State of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336411/netanyahu-accuses-australias-pm-inaction-tackling-antisemitism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336411/netanyahu-accuses-australias-pm-inaction-tackling-antisemitism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 18:41:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Days after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and sparking the devastating war in Gaza, an inverted red triangle was spray-painted on the front of a Jewish bakery in Sydney. It was the first of a string of antisemitic incidents in Australia. Sixteen months and thousands of arson, firebombing, graffiti and hate-speech incidents later, the head of the nation’s main intelligence agency declared that antisemitism was his number one priority in terms of threat to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336409/some-australian-jews-bondi-shooting-feels-inevitable-after-thousands-antisemitic-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3336409/some-australian-jews-bondi-shooting-feels-inevitable-after-thousands-antisemitic-incidents?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:40:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Cryptocurrencies tumbled on Thursday and bitcoin fell back below the US$90,000 threshold in a renewed signal of market jitters, as fresh concerns about artificial intelligence profits weighed on technology stocks. Risk sentiment turned sour after US cloud firm Oracle’s profit and revenue outlook missed forecasts and executives flagged higher spending – a sign that AI infrastructure outlays are not turning profits as quickly as investors had hoped. Bitcoin was last down 2.5 per cent at... https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3336042/bitcoin-drops-below-us90000-ai-worries-sour-risk-appetite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/blockchain/article/3336042/bitcoin-drops-below-us90000-ai-worries-sour-risk-appetite?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:03:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters An Australian firefighter was killed overnight after he was struck by a tree while trying to control a bushfire that had destroyed homes and burnt large swathes of bushland north of Sydney, authorities said on Monday. Emergency crews rushed to bushland near the rural town of Bulahdelah, 200km (124 miles) north of Sydney, after reports that a tree had fallen on a man. The 59-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest and died at the scene, officials said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335553/australian-summer-bushfires-destroy-homes-2-states-firefighter-killed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335553/australian-summer-bushfires-destroy-homes-2-states-firefighter-killed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 04:18:29 +0000 Reuters Reuters A majority of Australians, Japanese and Indians believe US President Donald Trump’s second term has been bad for their countries, and more Australians see the US as harmful than helpful in Asia, a survey of people in the four countries reported on Thursday. The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney polled 1,000 people in each of the four Quad nations: Australia, Japan, India, and the US. It found the region has been shaken by disruptive US developments but still backs... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335102/trumps-second-term-harmful-quad-nations-australia-japan-india-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3335102/trumps-second-term-harmful-quad-nations-australia-japan-india-poll-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Australian police said on Monday they had charged four men in Sydney in relation to “satanic” child sex abuse material circulating online. Detectives were investigating an “international satanic child abuse material ring”, when they identified the suspects in Sydney, New South Wales state police said. The men are accused of possessing, distributing, and facilitating child abuse material through a website that was administered internationally. Police arrested the four on Thursday, including a... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334710/australian-police-crack-down-satanic-child-abuse-material-ring-4-men-charged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3334710/australian-police-crack-down-satanic-child-abuse-material-ring-4-men-charged?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 03:47:07 +0000 dpa dpa A 53-year-old woman claiming to be a feng shui master and fortune-teller has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating a scheme that defrauded vulnerable clients of millions of dollars, Australian police said on Thursday. The woman “allegedly exploited vulnerable clients within the Vietnamese community by persuading them to take out financial loans – while taking a share herself – based on her prediction that there was a ‘billionaire’ in their future”, New South Wales police said. A 25-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3332611/australia-arrests-fortune-teller-over-alleged-us46-million-fraud-seizes-gold-bar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3332611/australia-arrests-fortune-teller-over-alleged-us46-million-fraud-seizes-gold-bar?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 07:08:44 +0000 Vincenzo La Torre Vincenzo La Torre Based in London and originally from Australia, Tamara Ralph has become a go-to designer for powerful and glamorous women such as Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Amal Clooney and Gemma Chan. Her intricate statement gowns never lack the wow factor and always steal the show at haute couture week in Paris. Here, she shares her favourite finds from Sydney and around the world. What I’m watching and listening to I am an avid watcher of spy films – like James Bond. I love action sports as well, so I suppose... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3331861/style-according-tamara-ralph-designer-loved-beyonce-and-angelina-jolie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/people/icons-influencers/article/3331861/style-according-tamara-ralph-designer-loved-beyonce-and-angelina-jolie?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 22:00:10 +0000 Jane Lee,Kenny Shui Jane Lee,Kenny Shui Hong Kong is stepping up to lead the next wave of global commerce. The recent launch of the government’s GoGlobal Task Force marks a crucial step in increasing international economic engagement. By pooling resources across the trade, finance, legal and professional sectors, the initiative offers a streamlined, unified platform to assist mainland enterprises in expanding overseas, particularly in the world’s fastest-growing regions. Traditionally, Hong Kong has focused on the US and European... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330376/its-time-hong-kong-set-its-first-trade-office-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3330376/its-time-hong-kong-set-its-first-trade-office-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong racehorse Ka Ying Rising was already a superstar when he arrived in Australia for the world’s richest turf race, but the five-year-old’s stunning victory in The Everest in Sydney has confirmed his status as the best sprinter in the sport. The dramatic win has also reinforced the city’s reputation as a leading player in the racing world. Ka Ying Rising started the race on the back of an impressive run of 13 wins, but he still had to prove the doubters wrong. A horse from overseas had... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329893/ka-ying-risings-sydney-victory-can-lift-hong-kong-racing-scene?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3329893/ka-ying-risings-sydney-victory-can-lift-hong-kong-racing-scene?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 22:45:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former UFC fighter Suman Mokhtarian was gunned down in a “brazen” shooting while on an early evening walk in Sydney, police said, months after surviving an attempt on his life. The 33-year-old was shot dead in a “targeted” attack in Riverstone, a suburb in Sydney’s northwest, on Wednesday evening, New South Wales Police said. A short time after the shooting, two cars were found on fire in different locations, a hallmark of recent organised crime hits that have rattled the city. “It’s very brazen... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3328324/ex-ufc-fighter-suman-mokhtarian-gunned-down-while-out-walk-sydney?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3328324/ex-ufc-fighter-suman-mokhtarian-gunned-down-while-out-walk-sydney?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 06:00:53 +0000