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New Zealand

The latest news, analysis and opinion on New Zealand. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Wellington

Head of State

King Charles III

Head of Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon

Workstations used by scam operators are seen after a police raid in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

Scams and swindles

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

2 hours agovideocam

Canada

Canada’s PM wants Andrew removed from UK line of succession over Epstein ties

7 Mar 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

Australia

Opinion | Australia needs to make its stance on the Iran attacks known

7 Mar 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

China trade

Despite loss of Panama Canal, China investing US$23.9b in global seaports: study

Beijing funds 363 ports outside the Panama Canal to safeguard against East-West decoupling and US bid to curb China’s supply chain influence.

6 Mar 2026 - 10:20AMvideocam

A view of the Port of Balboa, managed by CK Hutchison Holdings based in Hong Kong, at the entrance to the Panama Canal in Panama City. On February 24, 2026, Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison objected to a takeover by Panamanian authorities of two ports its subsidiary previously controlled on the Panama Canal. Photo: AFP

Chinese tourists

New Zealand’s tourism can still be milked to regain overseas earner crown

Arrivals from China, which before Covid was the second biggest source of visitors, have yet to recover to their pre-pandemic level.

3 Mar 2026 - 9:31AM

Hong Kong economy

Middle East conflict to drive up airfares for Hong Kong travellers: analysts

Suspension of major transit hubs in Dubai and Doha sends travellers scrambling for flights on ‘conflict-free’ paths to Europe.

2 Mar 2026 - 11:00PM

Indonesia

Row over speakers on Indonesian ‘island of 1,000 mosques’ sparks debate on rules

A New Zealander’s disruption of a prayer session over the use of loudspeakers at a mosque has prompted some to call for a law on their use.

25 Feb 2026 - 6:31PMvideocam

Officials inspecting a mosque’s speakers in Jakarta. Photo: AFP

Pacific nations

Wellington mayor dives into sewage row in New Zealand waters

Millions of litres of raw sewage have flowed into the waters off Wellington’s beaches since a treatment plant broke down on February 4.

25 Feb 2026 - 11:41AM

Extreme weather

‘Absolutely terrifying’ New Zealand storm leaves 30,000 homes without power

One man was found dead in a submerged vehicle on a highway after heavy rains and strong winds lashed the North Island over the weekend.

16 Feb 2026 - 1:26PM

United States

New Zealand catches flak for ‘secret’ US critical minerals talks

Opposition parties accuse the ruling coalition of keeping voters in the dark, fearing a fast track to environmental damage.

15 Feb 2026 - 11:00AM

Mining machinery in Greymouth, New Zealand. The South Pacific nation has reserves of 37 critical minerals key to clean energy development and advanced technology manufacturing, according to official assessments. Photo: AFP

China travel

Japan out, Australia in? China’s tourists heading down under for Lunar New Year

Bookings projected to surge on new flights, flexible itineraries and ease of payment.

14 Feb 2026 - 4:00PMvideocam

Chinese tourists are projected to visit Australia in increasing numbers over the extended Lunar New Year break, with China Trading Desk expecting a 20 per cent increase over the same period in 2025. Photo: Reuters

UAE

‘Surpassing Hong Kong’: UAE challenges Singapore for the global trade crown

With non-oil trade nearly doubling, analysts say the UAE has secured a first-mover advantage that leaves regional rivals trailing behind.

14 Feb 2026 - 2:00PM

Trip Inspiration

Why the Year of the Fire Horse calls for travel on horseback

Saddle up for some thrilling horse-related spectacles and experiences with our top picks from around the world.

13 Feb 2026 - 11:00AM

European Union

China cuts EU dairy tariffs, easing trade tensions after EV dispute

EU called Beijing’s tariffs ‘unwarranted’, and mulls WTO action, but China cutting some duties signals possible improvement in ties.

12 Feb 2026 - 10:54PMvideocam

China slashes EU dairy tariffs easing trade tensions. Photo: Reuters

Donald Trump

Leaders invited to Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in US. Who’s going?

Argentina’s Javier Milei and Hungary’s Viktor Orban confirm attendance after invitations go out.

9 Feb 2026 - 11:57AM

US President Donald Trump launched his ‘Board of Peace’ at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January. Photo: AFP

India

India’s trade blitz seeks to keep afloat a sinking global order

‘Jolted out of its slumber’ by US tariffs, New Delhi is aggressively diversifying trade alliances to act as a bridge in a polarised world.

10 Feb 2026 - 8:54PM

Canada

‘Devil’s in the details’: why Asia may not sign up to Canada’s alliance call

While Canadian PM Mark Carney’s vision appeals to many, analysts say a lack of detail and divergent interests make a unified front unlikely.

5 Feb 2026 - 6:06PMvideocam

China-Philippines relations

Asian Angle | South China Sea: 6 risks facing Philippines, China as conflict threshold lowers

From violent incidents to US missiles in Luzon, a ‘perilous new normal’ and vanishing red lines threaten to derail the Code of Conduct.

1 Feb 2026 - 11:00AMvideocam

A China Coast Guard vessel (right) fires its water cannon at the Philippines’ BRP Datu Pagbuaya near Philippine-occupied Thitu island, locally called Pagasa island, in the disputed the South China Sea on October 12, 2025. Photo: Philippine Coast Guard via AP

US-China relations

As Canada and UK hit refresh on China ties, is this the end of Five Eyes?

The White House’s ‘America first’ strategy is prompting alliance members to take another look at their relationship with Beijing.

31 Jan 2026 - 3:31PMvideocam

China consumption

How changing tastes in China are hitting Australia’s wine exports

Younger consumers’ preference for healthier, low-alcohol beverages has contributed to shrinking of Chinese market.

30 Jan 2026 - 11:17AM

Natural disasters

New Zealand landslide: human remains found as rescue operations end

A Chinese national died in another landslide near the Mount Maunganui campsite, both triggered by Thursday’s heavy rains.

24 Jan 2026 - 9:48AM

Rescuers work at the scene of a landslide in Mount Maunganui on Saturday . Photos: Reuters

Natural disasters

‘I could hear people screaming’: several feared buried in New Zealand campsite

‘I looked behind me and there’s a huge landslide coming down. And I’m still shaking from it now,’ a tourist at Mount Maunganui says.

22 Jan 2026 - 1:34PM

A landslide smashed into a campsite at Mount Maunganui in New Zealand on Thursday, leaving multiple people missing. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong national security law

Hong Kong justice minister slams sanctions threat, accusations against judges

Justice minister Paul Lam reviews judges’ performance in national security cases over past year and stresses they treated defendants fairly.

19 Jan 2026 - 11:26PM

From our archives

On This Day | Drama in Hong Kong’s first international marathon in 1969 – SCMP archive

Ahead of Sunday’s Hong Kong Standard Chartered Marathon, we look back at Hong Kong’s first international marathon, more than 55 years ago.

17 Jan 2026 - 3:30PM

Jerome Powell

New Zealand central bank chief scolded for poking nose in Trump-Fed feud

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters reminded Anna Breman to ‘stick to domestic monetary policy’.

14 Jan 2026 - 4:10PMvideocam

New Zealand central bank chief Anna Breman. Photo: Reuters

The Philippines

Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security

The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.

9 Jan 2026 - 6:26PM

Philippine Navy personnel during a joint military exercise with Australia last year. The navy says it is exploring ways to monitor undersea cables. Photo: Facebook/Armed Forces of the Philippines