China and Trump factor will heat up Asia-Pacific arms race, observers warn
[South China Morning Post] - 01/5/2025
Record defence budgets from Japan and the Philippines come as tensions with China grow and incoming US leader urges allies to spend more.
In Chinese newspapers
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer to quit as coalition talks collapse
Collapse underlines difficulty of forming governments in European countries where far-right on rise but parties (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 4/01/2025
French police seize two tons of cocaine worth around US$134 million in Le Havre
Truck driver, dock worker were arrested and face up to 30 years in jail. Port of Le Havre is major gateway for (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 4/01/2025
Hillary Clinton, George Soros and Denzel Washington receive highest US civilian honour
Biden bestowed Presidential Medal of Freedom to 19 famous names in politics, sport, entertainment, civil rights, (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 4/01/2025
From ‘Chubby Bear’ to censorship, Vietnam’s approach to TikTok reveals double standards
Vietnam’s TikTok strategy involves enforcing censorship while exploiting youth-centric trends to promote pro-leader (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
Biden administration notifies Congress of planned US$8 billion weapons sale to Israel
Package would add to at least US$17.9 billion in military aid the US has provided Israel since Hamas attacks in 2023 (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 4/01/2025
The abandoned Filipino children of sex workers using DNA to find their fathers amid uncertainty
An Australian charity is using DNA to track down fathers of children abandoned by sex tourists in Angeles City, (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
Clashes in Syria between pro-Turkey, Kurdish forces kills 101, monitor says
Clashes have killed 85 fighters from pro-Turkish groups and 16 from the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces.
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
Bezos’s Blue Origin poised for first orbital launch in days
The Amazon founder is hoping his new rocket will ignite a fresh challenge to Musk’s SpaceX dominance.
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
US approves Idaho antimony mine a month after China blocked exports of vital mineral
Perpetua’s Stibnite project is expected to meet over a third of US demand for the metal, which is vital for making (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
Amount of drugs found on air passengers in Hong Kong last year up by 244% over 2019
Customs officers seized 874kg of narcotics, worth HK$349 million, from air travellers in 2024, Post learns.
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025
France’s ex-president Sarkozy on trial over alleged Gaddafi pact
Sarkozy’s trial sees him charged with accepting illegal campaign financing as part of an alleged pact with late (…)
[South China Morning Post] - 5/01/2025