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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

Bob Lloyd poses for a portrait at the Hong Kong Football Club, Happy Valley, Hong Kong. Lloyd served as the captain of Hong Kong team during the first Hong Kong Sevens in 1976. Photo: Alexander Mak

My Life

Former Hong Kong rugby team captain reflects on the first Sevens tournament in 1976

The former England international rugby player tells Annemarie Evans about his turn as captain of the Hong Kong team at the inaugural Sevens tournament here in 1976.

16 Apr 2026 - 8:00AM

The Philippines

Why Southeast Asian nations are skipping major US-Philippine Balikatan drills

15 Apr 2026 - 8:00PM

Asia travel

Lack of fuel reserves forces Southeast Asian flight cuts amid Hormuz crisis

14 Apr 2026 - 12:10PMvideocam

Science

Open Questions | What an ancient Chinese map reveals about global history: Sheng-Wei Wang

Kunyu Wanguo Quantu and maritime artefacts prove China explored the world earlier than Eurocentric accounts suggest, scholar argues.

13 Apr 2026 - 8:15AMvideocam

Taiwan

Takeaways from Cheng Li-wun’s press conference about meeting with Xi Jinping

KMT chairwoman says that with talks in Beijing, her party has taken the first step to defuse tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

10 Apr 2026 - 4:28PM

US, Israel war on Iran

New Zealand doctor invoices US embassy for rising fuel costs

Shane Dunphy asked the embassy to reimburse him for the US$1,600 spent on petrol vouchers for his staff so that they could travel to work.

3 Apr 2026 - 6:25PM

Animals

Dog lost for a week in New Zealand bush found after strangers fund search

Molly the border collie went missing after her owner fell while hiking on the South Island and had to be rescued without her.

1 Apr 2026 - 3:14PM

A volunteer holds Molly (right) and Bingo at a waterfall on the Arahura River on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand on Tuesday. Photo: Precision Helicopters/AP

My Take

My Take | Verdict finds what any parent knows: social media is designed to be addictive

Jurors also decided Meta and YouTube either knew or should have known their products posed a danger to children and did not do enough to warn of the risks.

28 Mar 2026 - 10:49PM

Hong Kong Sevens

On This Day | First Hong Kong Sevens rugby tourney held in 1976 – SCMP archive

50 years ago today, the city hosted its first international rugby sevens tournament at the Hong Kong Football Club.

28 Mar 2026 - 10:30AM

Robotics

Why China’s humanoid robots are still waiting for their ‘ChatGPT moment’

Limited training data and unresolved hardware challenges continue to hold back humanoid robots from mass adoption, say experts.

26 Mar 2026 - 9:15AM

A humanoid robot serves candied hawthorn on sticks at the 2026 Zhongguancun Forum in Beijing, March 25, 2026. Unlike ChatGPT, the robotics industry has yet to find its sweet spot. Photo: Reuters

Singapore

Man extradited from Singapore to New Zealand faces rape, home invasion charges

Zhang Xuesong is accused of raping and strangling the victim and reportedly fled to China, and later Singapore, following the break-in.

25 Mar 2026 - 4:40PM

Zhang Xuesong, who is accused of raping and strangling a woman during a violent home invasion, pleaded not guilty in the Auckland High Court. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong courts

Editorial | Rule changes will help Hong Kong better combat national security threats

The amendments, such as the one related to providing passwords for electronic devices, bring the city in line with other parts of the world that have such requirements.

25 Mar 2026 - 7:15AM

The Philippines

Philippines scores poorly on work-life balance. Filipinos are not surprised

Low wages, poor workplace culture and heavy traffic are among the factors hampering Filipinos from enjoying a good work-life balance.

24 Mar 2026 - 9:30AMvideocam

Japan

Deep snow can’t hide inflation, foreign ‘takeover’ fears in Japan ski hub

An influx of foreign workers, inflated property prices and living costs are testing the patience of Niseko’s residents.

29 Mar 2026 - 2:50PMvideocam

Foreign tourists skiing and snowboarding at the Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu ski resort in Kutchan, Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture. Photo: AFP

Wellness

World’s ‘happiest’ places revealed as social media weighs on us

Heavy social media use is undermining youth well-being in many countries, according to a UN-sponsored report.

19 Mar 2026 - 2:11PMvideocam

A girl in Sydney uses her phone. Australia restricted young people’s access to social media services late last year. Photo: AP

China exports

Chinese firms should focus on stable regions when going global: entrepreneur

Escalating Middle East conflict, currency fluctuations make destinations like Southeast Asia, Australia attractive, top business leader says.

13 Mar 2026 - 1:02AMvideocam

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.

12 Mar 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

Canada

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

The prime minister called the former prince’s association with the paedophile financier ‘deplorable’.

7 Mar 2026 - 1:00PMvideocam

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. Photo: AAP/dpa

Australia

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

By refusing to condemn these legally baseless strikes, the Albanese government risks choosing ‘might is right’ over the UN Charter.

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

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

Chinese tourists take photos at Lake Tekapo in New Zealand’s South Island. Photo: SCMP

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

Travellers at Hong Kong International Airport. Analysts predict airline ticket prices will rise as carriers seek to offset higher expenses. Photo: Eugene Lee

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

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

A man retrieves his belongings from a utility vehicle that plunged off a collapsed section of road in Puketotara, New Zealand, on Saturday. Photo: Wayne Feisst via Reuters

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

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

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