As debt-laden Chinese property giant enters 30-day grace period, officials look to limit unrest and job lossesThe embattled Chinese property developer Evergrande is inching closer to the potential default that investors fear, after missing an interest …
Jacinda Ardern looks to life beyond lockdowns with 90% vaccination target
News that jabs may soon be approved for children could allow New Zealand to achieve milestone, experts say, but equality in access must be improvedSee all our coronavirus coverageJacinda Ardern wants to make New Zealand a world leader in Covid vaccinat…
Experts say China’s low-level cyberwar is becoming severe threat
Activity more overt and reckless despite US, British and other political efforts to bring it to a haltChinese state-sponsored hacking is at record levels, western experts say, accusing Beijing of engaging in a form of low-level warfare that is escalati…
Race to become Japan’s next PM too close to call days before vote
Contest to lead ruling party and country appears to be two-horse race between Taro Kono and Fumio KishidaThe race to become leader of Japan’s ruling party and the next prime minister is too close to call ahead of next week’s party election. It is a rar…
New Zealand is no ‘off-grid’ safe haven from the apocalypse | Max Harris
From 19th-century colonists to today’s super wealthy, New Zealand has been wrongly depicted as a ‘blank slate’New Zealand has become the prime destination for the world’s wealthy elite. Their relocation could be to do with the country’s famous scenery …
Is China stepping up its ambition to supplant US as top superpower?
Analysis: Joe Biden has cleared the decks to focus on China. But how imminent is the danger?It may have been an inelegantly, even ineptly, executed pivot, gratuitously alienating key allies, but by leaving Afghanistan and forming the Australian, US and…
China pledge to stop funding coal projects ‘buys time for emissions target’
China was lender of last resort for overseas governments seeking finance for coal projectsXi Jinping’s announcement that China will stop funding overseas coal projects could buy the world about three more months in the race to keep global heating to a …
Embattled property firm Evergrande rattles financial markets
Investors worried about Chinese developer draw parallels with 2008 collapse of Lehman BrothersChina’s embattled property developer Evergrande Group has caused concern among investors worldwide. With $300bn (£220bn) owed to its creditors and key debt in…
Second line of defence: Taiwan’s civilians train to resist invasion
Workshops teach public first aid and prepare them to assist armed forces in event of attack by ChinaOn a quiet workday morning last week, air raid sirens rang out across Taiwan. The eerie wailing horn would be the first warning to the island’s 23.5 mil…
‘Pushing the nuclear envelope’: North Korea’s missile diplomacy
Analysis: Fear and uncertainty of the Obama years could return as Kim Jong-un revives nuclear ambitionsNorth Korea’s recent missile launches signal that the regime has reverted to familiar tactics to attract the attention of the US. Although the rest o…