WEATHER ALERT
Australia's treasurer will visit China this week in the latest sign that bilateral ties are mending
Read full article: Australia's treasurer will visit China this week in the latest sign that bilateral ties are mendingAustralian Treasurer Jim Chalmers will become the first government minister from Australia in that key economic role to visit China in seven years.
New Zealand's inquiry into systemic abuse follows 2 decades of similar probes worldwide
Read full article: New Zealand's inquiry into systemic abuse follows 2 decades of similar probes worldwideNew Zealand is the latest country to confront cruel, systemic and commonplace abuse of children and vulnerable adults in state and faith-based care institutions.
Pacific leaders to meet on beautiful island to discuss climate change and other regional concerns
Read full article: Pacific leaders to meet on beautiful island to discuss climate change and other regional concernsA group of South Pacific leaders was due to travel to the beautiful island of Aitutaki on Thursday ahead of a meeting to discuss climate change and other regional concerns.
Ex-UK leader Truss to urge tougher China stance in Tokyo
Read full article: Ex-UK leader Truss to urge tougher China stance in TokyoFormer British Prime Minister Liz Truss will join the former leaders of Australia and Belgium at a conference in Tokyo later this month to call for a tougher international approach to China.
Prosecutor drops Australian Parliament House rape charge
Read full article: Prosecutor drops Australian Parliament House rape chargeAn Australian prosecutor says he dropped a rape charge against a former government adviser because of the life-threatening trauma a trial would cause the woman allegedly assaulted in a Parliament House office.
Australian Parliament censures former prime minister
Read full article: Australian Parliament censures former prime ministerAustralia’s former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has listed his achievements in government including standing up to a “bullying" China as he unsuccessfully argued against being censured by the Parliament for secretly amassing multiple ministerial powers.
Australia to make posts public to avoid repeat of power grab
Read full article: Australia to make posts public to avoid repeat of power grabAn inquiry into a former Australian prime minister secretly appointing himself to multiple ministries has recommended that all such appointments be made public in the future to preserve trust in government.
Australia sticks to US nuclear subs despite French criticism
Read full article: Australia sticks to US nuclear subs despite French criticismAustralia’s prime minister says he remains committed to building a fleet of submarines powered by U_S_ nuclear technology despite the French president describing the plan as a “confrontation with China.”.
Japan, Australia upgrade security pact against China threat
Read full article: Japan, Australia upgrade security pact against China threatJapan and Australia have signed a new bilateral security agreement to reflect the deteriorating security outlook for their region driven by China’s increasing assertiveness.
Australia to prevent prime ministers gaining secret powers
Read full article: Australia to prevent prime ministers gaining secret powersAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will launch an inquiry aimed at preventing a prime minister from ever again secretly amassing new ministerial powers.
Former Australia PM says secret powers were needed in crisis
Read full article: Former Australia PM says secret powers were needed in crisisScott Morrison says giving himself extra powers when he was Australia’s prime minister was necessary during the coronavirus crisis as criticism rose the moves were deceptive and undemocratic.
Former Australian PM Morrison took on extra powers in secret
Read full article: Former Australian PM Morrison took on extra powers in secretAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused his predecessor Scott Morrison of “trashing democracy” after revealing that while Morrison was in power, he arranged to have himself quietly appointed to five ministerial roles without the knowledge of many other lawmakers or the public.
Australia's new prime minister considers visit to Ukraine
Read full article: Australia's new prime minister considers visit to UkraineAustralia’s new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will take advice on whether to accept President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Ukraine during an upcoming European trip.
China's Pacific plan seen as regional strategic game-changer
Read full article: China's Pacific plan seen as regional strategic game-changerWhen China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April it raised concerns from the U.S. and its allies that Beijing may be seeking a military outpost in the South Pacific, an area of traditional American naval dominance.
Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriers
Read full article: Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriersAustralia’s new government has urged China to lift trade sanctions if it wants to reset a bilateral relationship that plumbed new depths under the previous administration.
Biden: Leaders navigating ‘dark hour’ after Ukraine invasion
Read full article: Biden: Leaders navigating ‘dark hour’ after Ukraine invasionPresident Joe Biden has warned fellow leaders of the informal Indo-Pacific security coalition known as the Quad that they are “navigating through a dark hour in our shared history.”.
Biden launches Indo-Pacific trade deal, warns over inflation
Read full article: Biden launches Indo-Pacific trade deal, warns over inflationPresident Joe Biden has launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warns Americans worried about high inflation that it is “going to be a haul” before they feel relief.
Albanese elected Australia's leader in complex poll result
Read full article: Albanese elected Australia's leader in complex poll resultAustralians awoke to a new prime minister in Anthony Albanese, the center-left Labor Party leader whose ascension to the nation’s top job from being raised in social housing by a single mother on a disability pension was said to reflect the country's changed fabric.
Australia's next prime minister came from humble beginnings
Read full article: Australia's next prime minister came from humble beginningsAustralia’s Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese is a politician molded by his humble start to life as the only child of a single mother who raised him on a pension in gritty inner-Sydney suburbia.
Australia PM Morrison defends record despite election loss
Read full article: Australia PM Morrison defends record despite election lossScott Morrison says his conservative government had left Australia in a robust condition even as voters punished him for his handling of issues including climate change and the pandemic that gave the center-left opposition its biggest victory for almost a decade.
Economy, China, climate dominate as Australia set for polls
Read full article: Economy, China, climate dominate as Australia set for pollsAustralians will go to the polls Saturday following a six-week election campaign that has focused on pandemic-fueled inflation, climate change and fears of a Chinese military outpost being established less than 1,200 miles off Australia’s shore.
Kim Jong Un lookalike disrupts Australian election campaign
Read full article: Kim Jong Un lookalike disrupts Australian election campaignA man impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday disrupted the Australian election campaign when he burst into an event that Prime Minister Scott Morrison was attending with lawmaker Gladys Liu.
Chinese ambassador says Solomons pact no threat to Australia
Read full article: Chinese ambassador says Solomons pact no threat to AustraliaA Chinese ambassador says China’s engagement with South Pacific island countries poses no threat to Australia, responding to fears that Beijing will establish a military foothold in the Solomon Islands.
Morrison defends management of Australia's ties to Solomons
Read full article: Morrison defends management of Australia's ties to SolomonsAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is following security officials’ advice in managing relations with the Solomon Islands after its leader alleged he’d been threatened “with invasion.”.
Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armies
Read full article: Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armiesAustralia’s opposition party has promised to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China’s potential military presence on the Solomon Islands.
Western pressure mounts on Solomons to quash pact with China
Read full article: Western pressure mounts on Solomons to quash pact with ChinaAustralia and the United States are stepping up diplomatic outreach to the Solomon Islands after China signed a security deal with the South Pacific island nation that could lead to Beijing establishing a military presence there.
Australia and India thank Quad for new free trade deal
Read full article: Australia and India thank Quad for new free trade dealIndia and Australia’s trade ministers say a shared security partnership with the United States and Japan has helped them strike a trade deal that Australia hopes will reduce its dependence on exports to China.
Australia, UK, US alliance to develop hypersonic missiles
Read full article: Australia, UK, US alliance to develop hypersonic missilesThe United States, United Kingdom and Australia have announced that they will work together via the recently created security alliance known as AUKUS to develop hypersonic missiles.
Australia aims to ease inflation pressures ahead of election
Read full article: Australia aims to ease inflation pressures ahead of electionAustralia’s government has presented a range of economic measures such as halving the tax on gasoline in a bid to help cushion the impact of rising prices and win votes at elections due by May.
Biden, other Quad leaders to meet virtually amid Ukraine war
Read full article: Biden, other Quad leaders to meet virtually amid Ukraine warPresident Joe Biden and the prime ministers of India, Australia and Japan will talk Thursday in a virtual meeting of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad that comes a week into the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Live updates: Ukraine gets $34M in cryptocurrency donations
Read full article: Live updates: Ukraine gets $34M in cryptocurrency donationsA firm that tracks cryptocurrency transactions says $33.8 million in the digital currency has been donated to Ukraine’s government and non-governmental organizations there since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Live updates: Official: Artillery kills 70 Ukraine soldiers
Read full article: Live updates: Official: Artillery kills 70 Ukraine soldiersA regional Ukraine official says more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv.
US, Europe step up Russia sanctions to target Putin directly
Read full article: US, Europe step up Russia sanctions to target Putin directlyThe United States and European allies are stepping up sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by adding measures directly targeting President Vladimir Putin and his top diplomat.
World leaders slap sanctions on the Kremlin over invasion
Read full article: World leaders slap sanctions on the Kremlin over invasionWorld leaders have condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “barbaric” and quickly slapped heavy sanctions on the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle and many of the country’s oligarchs.
'Thugs and bullies': Nations sanction Russia over Ukraine
Read full article: 'Thugs and bullies': Nations sanction Russia over UkraineWorld leaders are backing up their condemnation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine with action, announcing financial sanctions, banning trade with Ukrainian separatist regions and halting Russian bond distribution.
The Latest: EU ministers to decide on Russian sanctions
Read full article: The Latest: EU ministers to decide on Russian sanctionsThe European Union's top diplomat says foreign ministers will meet Tuesday to decide what sanctions to impose over Russia’s decision to recognize two separatist regions in southeast Ukraine.
Australian political leaders apologize to staff for abuses
Read full article: Australian political leaders apologize to staff for abusesAustralian political leaders have apologized to staffers who have endured decades of bullying, harassment and sexual assault inside Parliamentary House and other government offices.
Australia has $1 billion plan to convert ideas into jobs
Read full article: Australia has $1 billion plan to convert ideas into jobsAustralia’s government says it will spend more than $1 billion on converting research ideas into commercial hits as it looks to improve the economy with an election looming.
Australia pledges $704 million to save Great Barrier Reef
Read full article: Australia pledges $704 million to save Great Barrier ReefThe Australian government has pledged to spend another 1 billion Australian dollars ($704 million) over nine years on improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef after stalling a UNESCO decision on downgrading the natural wonder’s World Heritage status.
Australian prime minister loses control of WeChat account
Read full article: Australian prime minister loses control of WeChat accountAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lost control of his Chinese-owned social media platform WeChat account and a lawmaker has accused China’s leaders of political interference.
Three of Tonga's smaller islands badly damaged by tsunami
Read full article: Three of Tonga's smaller islands badly damaged by tsunamiThree of Tonga’s smaller islands have suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials and the Red Cross say, as a wider picture begins to emerge of the destruction caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation.
TIMELINE: Djokovic's failed bid to play in Australian Open
Read full article: TIMELINE: Djokovic's failed bid to play in Australian OpenNovak Djokovic’s attempt to play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19 has come to an end after a court upheld a government minister’s rejection of his visa.
TIMELINE: Novak Djokovic's bid to compete at Australian Open
Read full article: TIMELINE: Novak Djokovic's bid to compete at Australian OpenNovak Djokovic’s attempt to stave off deportation and be allowed to play in the Australian Open despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19 is headed for a legal hearing the day before he is scheduled to begin his title defense at a Grand Slam tournament he’s won a record nine times.
Djokovic in Australian Open draw as visa saga continues
Read full article: Djokovic in Australian Open draw as visa saga continuesNovak Djokovic has remained in limbo even after he was included in the draw for the Australian Open, with the tennis star still awaiting a government decision on whether to deport him for not being vaccinated for COVID-19.
Amid Djokovic backlash, Australia grapples with omicron wave
Read full article: Amid Djokovic backlash, Australia grapples with omicron waveThe omicron variant of the coronavirus has swept across Australia despite its high vaccination rate and strict border policies that kept the country largely sealed off from the world for almost two years.
Djokovic back into swing in Australia, visa questions linger
Read full article: Djokovic back into swing in Australia, visa questions lingerNovak Djokovic has held a practice session, a day after he left immigration detention, focusing on defending his Australian Open title even while he still faces the prospect of deportation because he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Will he stay or will he go? Djokovic's hearing underway
Read full article: Will he stay or will he go? Djokovic's hearing underwayNovak Djokovic is getting his day in court in a deportation case that has polarized opinions and elicited heartfelt support for the world No. 1 tennis player in his native Serbia.
Australia, Japan sign defense pact as China concerns loom
Read full article: Australia, Japan sign defense pact as China concerns loomThe leaders of Japan and Australia have signed a “landmark” defense agreement that allows closer cooperation between their militaries and stands as a rebuke to China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
EXPLAINER: Why was Novak Djokovic not let into Australia?
Read full article: EXPLAINER: Why was Novak Djokovic not let into Australia?Novak Djokovic came within one victory of sweeping all four of last year’s Grand Slam tennis tournaments and entered 2022 needing one title to set the men’s record of 21 major championships.
Reaction to Novak Djokovic's canceled visa in Australia
Read full article: Reaction to Novak Djokovic's canceled visa in AustraliaThe Australian government has denied No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic entry to defend his title in the year's first tennis major and canceled his visa because he failed to meet the requirements for an exemption to the country's COVID-19 vaccination rules.
Australia, Japan to sign 'historic' defense, security pact
Read full article: Australia, Japan to sign 'historic' defense, security pactAustralia and Japan will sign a treaty on Thursday to increase defense and security cooperation in a move that has been hailed as “historic” but which might anger China.
Australia sees another jump in virus cases, hospitalizations
Read full article: Australia sees another jump in virus cases, hospitalizationsAustralia is experiencing rising COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations and long queues at testing centers as it continues to battle the rapid spread of the virus in most states.
Coronavirus cases surge across Australia as omicron explodes
Read full article: Coronavirus cases surge across Australia as omicron explodesCoronavirus cases are surging across Australia as an outbreak of the omicron variant spreads, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to schedule an emergency national cabinet meeting.
Live updates: Australia state has 2nd day of high caseload
Read full article: Live updates: Australia state has 2nd day of high caseloadAustralia’s New South Wales state is reporting more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours for the second straight day as the state and federal governments roll out measures meant to curb the spread of the virus.
Australia and South Korea sign defense deal as leaders meet
Read full article: Australia and South Korea sign defense deal as leaders meetAustralia and South Korea have signed a $720 million defense deal as South Korean President Moon Jae-in became the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
Australian military switches from European to US helicopters
Read full article: Australian military switches from European to US helicoptersAustralia’s military says it plans to ditch its fleet of European-designed Taipan helicopters and instead buy U.S. Black Hawks and Seahawks because the American machines are more reliable.
Australian opposition promises deeper emission reductions
Read full article: Australian opposition promises deeper emission reductionsAustralia's opposition leader says the nation would set a more ambitious target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by the end of the decade if the government changes at elections early next year.
Australia delays relaxing border, 5th omicron case reported
Read full article: Australia delays relaxing border, 5th omicron case reportedAustralian authorities have announced that they will delay for at least two weeks plans to relax border restrictions as the country reported a fifth case of the omicron COVID-19 variant.
Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tension
Read full article: Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tensionViolence has receded in the capital of the Solomon Islands, but the government has shown no signs of attempting to address the underlying grievances that sparked two days of riots, including concerns of the country’s increasing links with China.
Australia sending troops, police to Solomons amid unrest
Read full article: Australia sending troops, police to Solomons amid unrestAustralia says it is sending police, troops and diplomats to the Solomon Islands to help after anti-government demonstrators defied lockdown orders and took to the streets for a second day in violent protests.
Solomon Islands leader blames foreign powers for unrest
Read full article: Solomon Islands leader blames foreign powers for unrestThe Solomon Islands prime minister has blamed foreign interference for anti-government protests, arson and looting that have ravaged the capital in recent days following his government’s decision to switch alliances from Taiwan to Beijing.
Australia to welcome vaccinated foreign students, workers
Read full article: Australia to welcome vaccinated foreign students, workersThe Australian government expects 200,000 vaccinated foreign students and skilled workers will soon return without quarantining when the country further relaxes pandemic restrictions next week.
Australia aims to protect, promote critical technologies
Read full article: Australia aims to protect, promote critical technologiesAustralian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a plan to protect and promote technologies critical to the country's national interest, in a challenge to China’s emerging dominance in key strategic fields.
Former leader says sub deal protects US, not Australia
Read full article: Former leader says sub deal protects US, not AustraliaFormer Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating says a deal to acquire submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology is aimed at protecting the United States from Chinese nuclear attack and has changed Australia-Sino relations.