Day: June 13, 2025

Indonesia launches rare crackdown on nickel mines in ‘last paradise’

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. By cancelling the permits of four out of five nickel mining companies operating in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat archipelago, President Prabowo Subianto this month handed a rare win to environmental groups that have long criticised the rapidly growing industry. Prabowo’s intervention followed a report by Greenpeace that said nickel exploitation on three Raja Ampat islands had destroyed more than 500 hectares of forest and caused soil run-off threatening the coral reefs…

Are US student visa curbs a self-inflicted wound on US innovation?

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Jason, a Chinese geology student studying at a university in the American Midwest, was stunned when he read the news. Advertisement “I could feel the hostility of the American government and voters toward China,” he said. “I was angry and confused. I also could not believe language like that would appear in an official announcement from any civilised country.” “We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Advertisement…

China labor rights group shuts down in latest setback for civil society in Hong Kong

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A Hong Kong-based labor rights group founded by prominent Chinese labor activist Han Dongfang has announced it is shutting down after three decades of tracking workers’ protests in China, citing financial difficulties and debt woes. The closure of China Labor Bulletin, announced Thursday, came as authorities launched a new national security investigation into six unnamed people and one organization suspected of “colluding with a foreign country.” Shortly after officials launched the probe, China Labor Bulletin – which receives funding from various foundations based outside China – announced its closure, saying:…

Vietnam officially joins Brics as ‘partner country’, Brazil announces

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Vietnam officially gained admission to Brics as a “partner country” on Friday, joining a growing group of emerging economies connected to the bloc’s widening agenda urging global cooperation and governance reform. Advertisement The announcement came from Brazil, which holds Brics’ rotating presidency in 2025. In a statement, the Brazilian government welcomed Hanoi’s decision, highlighting shared goals of building “a more inclusive and representative international order.” Brazil touted Vietnam’s population of nearly 100 million and its “dynamic economy” as key factors in the country’s admission. “Vietnam stands out as a significant…

North Korea’s relaunches ‘restored’ warship with fanfare, 3 weeks after failure

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A North Korean warship damaged during its launch three weeks ago was set afloat on a second attempt as leader Kim Jong Un looked on, but analysts say the 5,000-ton destroyer may not yet be fully operational. On Thursday, North Korea held a formal launch ceremony for the repaired naval destroyer named ‘Kang Kon’ at the Rajin dockyard, 45 miles (72 kilometers) up the coast from Chongjin shipyard where the warship on May 21 fell sideways into the sea, leaving it partially submerged. “The warship was safely raised and floated…

Air India ‘black box’ retrieved as crash investigation starts

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Investigators into the causes of India’s worst civil aviation disaster in almost three decades have found a “black box” flight recorder from the Air India flight for London that crashed in Ahmedabad, killing all but one of 242 people on board. Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said in a social media post that the recovery of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner’s flight recorder on Friday marked “an important step…

Jane Street takes $4mn a month Hong Kong prime office

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Jane Street has struck one of Hong Kong’s largest prime office leases since before the Covid-19 pandemic, underlining how the New York-based trading firm has emerged as a challenger to Wall Street’s biggest banks. Under the deal, which relates to a central business district complex still under development, Jane Street will pay an estimated rent of more than HK$30mn per month ($3.8mn) for a five-year lease of six floors starting…

What does China’s PLA gain from operating 2 carriers in second island chain?

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In sending two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific concurrently for the first time, Beijing is learning to coordinate the vessels in open ocean, a tactic it would likely use to deter US forces in a Taiwan conflict, according to defence analysts. Advertisement The two carriers – the Liaoning and Shandong – were spotted in the waters, having entered the western Pacific via separate courses over the past two weeks. They are believed to have practised dispersing, concentrating and communicating in the complex high-seas area. By Friday, Chinese military authorities…

EU sidelined by US-China showdown, Moutai’s new reality: SCMP daily highlights

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Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest China stories of the day. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘Elephants trampling on global trade’: EU sidelined by US-China showdown Over two rounds of high-stakes talks on European soil, Europe has watched from the sidelines as the US and China tried to reach a truce that might stabilise the global trading system on which the continent is entirely reliant. 2. Chinese citizens in Iran, Israel need to prepare for attacks, embassies warn The Chinese…

Smiling, friendly China a perfect antidote to Trump’s angry America

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Following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, China experienced a sharp drop in the number of international visitors and many foreign residents left the country. International tourism was still below pre-pandemic levels as late as 2024. Advertisement When tourists did not return in large numbers after it reopened its borders in 2023, China began to take measures to reverse the trend and bring foreigners back, rolling out a unilateral 30-day visa-free entry scheme, which now encompasses 47 countries, including European nations such as France, Germany and Italy. The…