How a US$7 billion warship deal is reshaping Japan-Australia defence ties Japan and Australia’s landmark A$10 billion (US$6.5 billion) deal for next-generation warships not only promises to reshape the Indo-Pacific’s security order, analysts say, but also revive Tokyo’s once-moribund defence industry. Under the deal, announced earlier his month, Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will produce Mogami-class 11 stealth frigates for the Royal Australian Navy to replace its ageing Anzac-class vessels with a larger, faster and more lethal fleet. The Mogami-class is a... image
South China Morning Post
How a US$7 billion warship deal is reshaping Japan-Australia defence ties
Analysts say the warships deal will create ‘long-term coordination’ between the two navies amid mutual concerns over China’s rise.
China ‘life loser’ changes life in 1,000 days with hard training, gains online fame A self-described “life loser” from eastern China has turned his situation around by following a superhero workout from a Japanese manga for 1,000 days. Li Shuangyong, from Shandong province, who is known online as Tangzhu, has attracted more than one million followers on mainland social media. According to Jiupai News, Li was born into a rural family. At 36, his fish farming business collapsed, leaving him in debt and ending his marriage. He called himself a “life loser” and said he spent his... image
South China Morning Post
China ‘life loser’ changes life in 1,000 days with hard training, gains online fame
Washed-up, failed fish farmer takes inspiration from Japanese manga superhero, transforms body and mind via gruelling fitness regime.
Chinese military ‘warns off’ US destroyer from vicinity of Scarborough Shoal A US destroyer has entered disputed waters in the South China Sea, less than two days after an apparent collision involving a Chinese coastguard vessel and a PLA Navy ship while the former was pursuing a Philippine coastguard vessel in the area. The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command said on Wednesday that the USS Higgins destroyer, type DDG-76, had “illegally entered China’s territorial waters around Huangyan Island without the approval of the Chinese government”. The PLA... image
South China Morning Post
Chinese military ‘warns off’ US destroyer from vicinity of Scarborough Shoal
PLA Southern Theatre Command says USS Higgins was warned to leave the area where two Chinese ships reportedly collided this week.
Hong Kong authorities will ‘act first’ to prevent chikungunya fever: minister Hong Kong’s hygiene officers will adopt an “act first” approach by clearing stagnant water in unattended private places to tackle the threat of chikungunya fever, the city’s environment minister has said. Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Wednesday pledged to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, even in places where responsibility for maintenance was unclear. “This is a critical time for disease prevention. I believe the public is most concerned about private alleyways where... image
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong authorities will ‘act first’ to prevent chikungunya fever: minister
Environment chief says hygiene officers will take action to clear stagnant water, even in places where responsibility for maintenance is unclear.
Taiwan unveils ‘carrier killer’ plans in bid to deter mainland Chinese forces Taiwan is developing a next-generation anti-ship missile in a move that defence analysts have described as potentially a major boost to the island’s ability to deter mainland China’s expanding naval power. In a list issued under the Defence Industry Development Act, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced a new weapon described as a “long-range subsonic anti-ship cruise missile”. The list said the island’s military would spend NT$40 million (US$1.4 million) next year and the year after that to buy... image
South China Morning Post
Taiwan unveils ‘carrier killer’ plans in bid to deter mainland Chinese forces
The island’s defence ministry has announced efforts to develop a long-range, subsonic missile to boost its naval defences.
Brave migrant workers rescue woman from Singapore sinkhole Migrant workers in Singapore have been praised for their quick action in saving a woman after her car was swallowed by a sinkhole. Social media videos show a 3-metre (10-foot) deep sinkhole suddenly appearing on Saturday evening along Tanjong Katong Road east of the citystate, causing a black Mazda to topple sideways into the hole. Immediately, nearby construction workers can be seen rushing to her rescue. One worker leans into the sinkhole as two more workers approach the edge. As the driver... image
South China Morning Post
Brave migrant workers rescue woman from Singapore sinkhole
The construction workers rushed to the driver’s aid after a three-metre deep sinkhole opened up in eastern Singapore.
Hong Kong pet shop owner arrested for alleged theft of 35 cats to repay loan A Hong Kong pet shop owner has been arrested for the alleged theft of 35 of his customers’ cats which he used to repay debts to a loan company, with the felines estimated to be valued at more than HK$623,000 (US$79,870), the Post has learned. The owner, surnamed Chan, 44, had a shop in Hung Hom, which also offered consignment and pet-sitting services, a source said on Thursday. The source said Chan took out a loan of HK$210,000 from a company in August last year. The firm demanded repayment on... image
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong pet shop owner arrested for alleged theft of 35 cats to repay loan
The 35 cats had an estimated value of HK$623,000, source says.
New Zealand’s rainbow capital sees rise in anti-LGBTQ hate Wellington, long celebrated as New Zealand’s most inclusive city, is witnessing a rise in anti-LGBTQ attacks, leaving many residents feeling unsafe – and some contemplating leaving altogether. The mother of a 19-year-old gay student, who moved to the country’s capital for university, told the Stuff news website that her son faced constant intimidation and was regularly subjected to homophobic slurs on the streets of Wellington. Paradoxically, Wellington was chosen for the son’s studies because... image
South China Morning Post
New Zealand’s rainbow capital sees rise in anti-LGBTQ hate
LGBTQ activists and residents report a disturbing shift in Wellington’s once-accepting atmosphere.
George Floyd’s uncertain legacy marked in US 5 years on Floyd’s deadly 2020 arrest helped launch Black Lives Matter but movement now lacking support as Trump backtracks on reforms to tackle racism. image
South China Morning Post
George Floyd’s uncertain legacy marked in US 5 years on
Police killing of black man George Floyd in 2020 prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality.
On this Chinese island, patients are trying latest experimental drugs for cancer A medical revolution quietly unfolds on Hainan, allowing patients to access cutting-edge therapies before they hit the market. image
South China Morning Post
On this Chinese island, patients are trying latest experimental drugs for cancer
A medical revolution quietly unfolds on Hainan, allowing patients to access cutting-edge therapies before they hit the market.