Follow South China Morning Post - Australasia, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/scmp23 Sat, 25 Sep 2021 21:08:48 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHBgFIfzgRo0iejEQ2Mq9rY A pilot programme to allow some international students to return to Australia’s most populous state is likely to exclude Chinese nationals due to rules surrounding vaccination status.The phased plan was approved by the federal government and the first flight carrying some 500 fully-vaccinated international students will arrive in New South Wales by the end of the year, the state government said on Friday.Chinese nationals are Australia’s biggest source of international students but they are…]]> Sat, 25 Sep 2021 08:41:31 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHBgFIfzgRo0iejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxF4wZ4ICImW7-zdsCmHakzH China is snapping up cargoes of Australian wheat despite a bitter trade stand-off between the two countries, as crop downgrades elsewhere lead to a global shortfall in output.The buying spree comes as Australia, a key global food supplier, is expecting a second consecutive bumper harvest, while Northern Hemisphere producers have been hit by adverse weather and drought.China, the world’s top importer of agricultural products, has imposed anti-dumping duties on Australian wine and barley and…]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 06:34:09 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxF4wZ4ICImW7-zdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGrap-jmqYKjCejEQ2Mq9rY The leaders of a new military alliance that the Chinese government has lashed out against in recent months are gathering in Washington and, analysts say, Beijing’s reactions may be undermining its own interests by pushing the Quad into closer military coordination with other US allies.US President Joe Biden is to host the prime ministers of Australia, India and Japan – Scott Morrison, Narendra Modi and Yoshihide Suga – on Friday, after assembling the group via video link just months ago. The…]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:16:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGrap-jmqYKjCejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEj5GEGlmv9DMb1naedg1wr Melbourne’s streets were largely quiet on Thursday after three days of anti-lockdown protests, with hundreds of police officers on patrol in the city to prevent another rally as Covid-19 cases in Victoria hit a daily pandemic record.Police in central Melbourne were checking people’s reasons for being outside, footage on social media showed, after a violent protest on Wednesday in Australia’s second-largest city resulted in more than 200 arrests.A vaccination centre at the Melbourne Town Hall…]]> Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:15:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEj5GEGlmv9DMb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHf7E4iY8gn4-T5HJgy6HUf Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he has tried to arrange a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron but has been unsuccessful so far, a week after his cancellation of a major submarine deal sparked a diplomatic row with Paris.Morrison, speaking in Washington on Wednesday, said he would be patient in rebuilding ties with France.Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, saying it was blindsided by Australia’s decision to build nuclear-powered…]]> Thu, 23 Sep 2021 07:26:04 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHf7E4iY8gn4-T5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH2vIOZ02qHOClmFkX7M1Jw France’s Naval Group said Wednesday it will send a “detailed and calculated proposal” to Australia in the coming weeks of the costs it expects Canberra to pay for scrapping a massive contract to purchase French submarines.Australia in 2016 agreed to buy 12 diesel-powered submarines built by Naval Group in a deal dubbed the “contract of the century” worth US$36.5 billion and later revalued at US$60 billion.However last week Australia ditched the deal in favour of nuclear-powered submarines from…]]> Thu, 23 Sep 2021 01:40:42 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH2vIOZ02qHOClmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHD7kDyLFxiSsb1naedg1wr Australia’s bid to acquire nuclear submarines under a new security pact with the United States and Britain has sparked unease in Pacific Island nations, whose strategic location has placed them at the forefront of the growing geopolitical rivalry between China and the West.The launch of the partnership, dubbed Aukus, has raised concerns among politicians, the media and civil society in the Pacific about the risk of conflict and nuclear proliferation in their backyard.Although sparsely-populated…]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 23:00:26 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHD7kDyLFxiSsb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGRjkvoPyJ7lKCY3L745TL_ Australia plans to open its international border by Christmas at the latest, unwinding one of the world’s strictest controls on overseas travel since the pandemic began.Australians will be able to travel abroad, with no restrictions on the destination, once the vaccination rate in their respective home state hits 80 per cent, Tourism Minister Dan Tehan said at a National Press Club of Australia event on Wednesday.Australia’s borders have been mostly shut to non-citizens and non-residents since…]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:02:38 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGRjkvoPyJ7lKCY3L745TL_ https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFqMJZ0GPFlnpVjH6qdYdAk France should not have been surprised that Australia cancelled a submarine contract, as major concerns about delays, cost overruns and suitability had been aired officially and publicly for years, Australian politicians said.Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, saying it was blindsided by Canberra’s decision to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and Britain rather than stick with its contract for French diesel submarines.Yet as early as September…]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 06:05:09 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFqMJZ0GPFlnpVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHOdyg3r4xxol1cWWor9YPv A rare earthquake rattled southeastern Australia early on Wednesday, shaking buildings, knocking down walls and sending panicked residents running into the streets of the country’s second-largest city.The shallow quake hit east of Melbourne just after 9am local time and was felt hundreds of kilometres away.The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the quake at 5.8, later revised up to 5.9, and said it struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles).Debris littered roads in the popular…]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2021 03:27:16 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxHOdyg3r4xxol1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH7BadZbMjBh5VjH6qdYdAk The Philippines is backing a new defence partnership between the United States, Britain and Australia, hoping it can maintain the balance of power in the Asia-Pacific region, a view that contrasts sharply with some of its neighbours.Known as Aukus, the alliance will see Australia get technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of the agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power.“The enhancement of a near-abroad ally’s ability to project power should restore and keep the…]]> Tue, 21 Sep 2021 08:19:13 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH7BadZbMjBh5VjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFDVbcefUjZZ5VjH6qdYdAk Yap Lay Hong, who last year made world headlines as one of oldest coronavirus survivors anywhere, has died at the age of 103, her Singapore nursing home said.“It is with mixed emotions to share that someone who inspired us all has passed on,” the Lee Ah Moi Old Age Home said, announcing that the centenarian died in hospital on Sunday morning after an intestinal blockage.The home said Yap had been a resident for around three years and “was known amongst our staff for her resilience and…]]> Tue, 21 Sep 2021 04:43:48 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFDVbcefUjZZ5VjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH-FBV27cc1filmFkX7M1Jw Since the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines, a crucial but largely unspoken question has loomed large for countries looking towards returning to pre-pandemic life: how much sickness and death will occur even after nearly everybody has been jabbed?Possible answers to that question are coming into view as a growing number of territories get close to their maximum vaccination rates.Although varying considerably, the emerging picture points to a post-vaccinated future in which societies may have to…]]> Tue, 21 Sep 2021 01:00:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxH-FBV27cc1filmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEA1l_DsKYwknn9ye8UNv30 Australia’s acquisition of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new, trilateral defence pact with the United States and Britain has prompted soul-searching in New Delhi about how India should react.New Delhi has not officially responded to the Aukus partnership that will see Australia ramping up its deterrence capabilities, at a time when the US and its allies are seeking to counter China’s rising influence in the region.Shekhar Sinha, a retired vice-admiral and former…]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 14:30:15 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEA1l_DsKYwknn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEXKehvVaq5neT5HJgy6HUf Australia on Monday sought to assuage regional anxieties over its plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through a joint arrangement with Britain and the United States, with Canberra’s envoy to Asean saying the agreement was “not a defence alliance or pact”.In a statement, Will Nankervis said the arrangement would not change “Australia’s commitment to Asean nor our ongoing support for the Asean-led regional infrastructure”.Canberra was committed to continuing to foster a “peaceful, secure…]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:32:36 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEXKehvVaq5neT5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEXKehvVaq5nZVjH6qdYdAk Fiji plans to reopen for international tourists by November, aiming to rebuild its pandemic-devastated economy while battling a Delta-variant coronavirus outbreak.“Our goal is to free our country – and our economy – from the rut of the pandemic,” Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said in a statement last week.Once 80 per cent of Fiji’s eligible population is vaccinated, it will offer quarantine-free travel to visitors from a “green list” of locations. Of Fiji’s eligible population, 66 per cent…]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:18:44 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxEXKehvVaq5nZVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFiLkLXZjnuTl1cWWor9YPv Singapore’s leaders are closely watching the city state’s intensive care capacity to make sure its hospital system will not be overwhelmed, as reported Covid-19 cases breached the 1,000 mark for a second consecutive day, cabinet ministers said.The next one to two weeks “will be critical,” Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said in a Facebook post late on Sunday. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said in a separate post that while ICU capacity is “still holding up,” accident and emergency departments and…]]> Mon, 20 Sep 2021 06:39:19 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFiLkLXZjnuTl1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFrEkfRtnXjvSlmFkX7M1Jw France on Saturday accused Australia and the United States of lying over a ruptured Australian contract to buy French submarines, saying a crisis was under way between the allies.French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday recalled the ambassadors to Canberra and Washington in an unprecedented move to signal his fury over Australia’s decision to break a deal for the French submarines in favour of American nuclear-powered vessels.The row has, for now, ended hopes of a post-Donald Trump…]]> Sun, 19 Sep 2021 04:55:28 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxFrEkfRtnXjvSlmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGupEybP1t5Cl1cWWor9YPv Malaysia on Saturday joined Indonesia in expressing concern that a new security pact involving Australia, the US and Britain could provoke a nuclear arms race in the Indo-Pacific region.Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison called his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Friday to explain that the formation of the tripartite group – known as AUKUS – was to help it acquire nuclear-powered submarines, according to a statement from the Malaysian government.Ismail Sabri told Morrison he…]]> Sat, 18 Sep 2021 17:34:49 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGupEybP1t5Cl1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGupEybP1t5Csb1naedg1wr Several police officers were wounded and hundreds of protesters were arrested in Australia’s second-largest city Saturday in violent clashes at an anti-lockdown march.Officers used pepper spray and made more than 200 arrests in Melbourne as several hundred attendees flouted stay-at-home orders and marched through an inner-city suburb.The illegal gathering took place as the city endures its sixth lockdown since the pandemic started, with the wider state of Victoria reporting over 500 cases of…]]> Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:33:10 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/Vk1XXm9RJxGupEybP1t5Csb1naedg1wr