Australia

A worker operates heavy equipment to unload coal from a barge into a truck at a port in North Jakarta, Indonesia, on Jan. 13.
Commodities

Indonesian miner to take over Australian coking coal assets for $380m

Sinar Mas arm also announces $200m investment in Ant-backed mobile wallet

15 August 2022
The Mount Weld rare-earths mine in Western Australia. Shares of Lynas Rare Earths, which owns the mine, are at the highest point in about four months.
Supply Chain

Rare-earth prices fall on supply increase and China auto slowdown

Beijing loses leverage of once potent export ban despite rising tensions with Washington

13 August 2022
Olivia Newton-John performs in Los Angeles, U.S. in 2016. 
Obituaries

Pop music and 'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John dies at 73

British-born Australian singer and actor was a four-time Grammy winner

9 August 2022
The opening of Crown Resorts' Sydney casino comes as a breakthrough for the Australian company.
Companies

Crown Resorts Sydney casino finally set to start taking bets

Regulatory woes delayed gambling at glitzy, high-profile venue

8 August 2022
A firefighter works to douse a fire in a building, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Mykolaiv, in this handout picture released on July 31. 
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from July 8 to Aug. 1: Russian strikes kill Ukrainian grain tycoon

Grain ship leaves port of Odesa, Ukrainian minister says; Gazprom cuts gas to Latvia

1 August 2022
A coal mine in Queensland: The Australian state has sharply raised royalties charged on coal production, raising costs for miners. (Photo courtesy of BHP Group)
Energy

Local, international coal miners decry Australian royalty hikes

Move by Queensland government raises fears over investment environment

29 July 2022
This photo from 1868 shows the first Aboriginal cricket team to tour England. (Courtesy of Cricket Australia)
Life

'Black Cockatoo' shines light on Australia's dark history

New play draws attention to largely forgotten Aboriginal sporting hero

27 July 2022
Hitachi will provide an automatic train operation system for a rail line in Australia.
26 July 2022
Almost 49% of Woodside’s shareholders voted against its carbon emissions policies in a non-binding vote at the company’s annual general meeting in May.
Energy

Activists vow to escalate climate battle at Australia's Woodside

Gas producer becomes lightning rod for debate about Asia's energy transition

15 July 2022
Kawasaki Heavy's Suiso Frontier delivered the world's first cargo of liquefied hydrogen from Australia to Japan earlier this year. (Photo by Atsushi Ooka)
Energy

Quad members agree to promote hydrogen, ammonia fuel tech

Ukraine war underscores importance of clean energy security

14 July 2022
A solar cell production line in Baddi, in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh: India is emerging as a low-cost, large-scale rival to China in clean energy manufacturing.
Opinion

Quad should seize chance to boost Indo-Pacific clean energy

Challenging China's dominance will not be easy

11 July 2022
Tottenham's Son Heung-min is arguably the most recognizable South Korean in any field, anywhere. The English Premier League team is looking to cash in on that star power on its visit to Seoul.
Sports

European soccer giants head back to Asia after COVID-induced break

Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham among those kicking off preseason tours to region

11 July 2022
Cranes rise above a construction site in Beijing in April. China's second quarter numbers will be an eagerly awaited gauge of the country's economic health.
Your Week in Asia

Sydney Energy Forum, Biden in Middle East, China GDP

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

10 July 2022
From left, U.S. President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were among the world leaders mourning former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Source photos by Reuters)
Shinzo Abe

Biden joins Asian, global leaders in expressing shock over Abe shooting

Tributes pour in from India, Taiwan, Australia and other Japan partners

9 July 2022
As more Asians turned to the internet to conduct their daily lives during the pandemic, it was up to data centers to make sure everything ran smoothly.
Property

From Singapore to Japan, data centers come under investor scrutiny

JLL consultancy says much of industry is in the dark about how to cut emissions

8 July 2022
Alvin Chau once was among the top junket operators in Macao, taking care of travel and financial arrangements for high-roller punters, mostly from mainland China. (Source photos by Getty Images and Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

Macao casino king Alvin Chau 'cheats' government of $1bn in taxes

Indictment says his Suncity Group ran vast criminal conspiracy for years

5 July 2022
Jim Chalmers in Brisbane on May 15: The Labor treasurer will want to rebalance the wage versus profit share of the economy.
Opinion

Australia's central bank's reasoning needs rethinking

Wages policy lies at the heart of the new government's challenge

1 July 2022
Stream article image
Indo-Pacific

70% of Australians support nuclear submarines under AUKUS

Country's public increasingly views Russia and China as threats in new poll

29 June 2022
Australia was widely criticized as a climate laggard during the Scott Morrison years. New Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is out to change that -- and realize the country's renewable power potential.
Asia Insight

Australia coal sector braces as Albanese tackles carbon demons

Export hub of Newcastle wonders how it can escape another 'BHP moment'

28 June 2022
Japanese, Australian and U.S. destroyers participate in last December's Annualex joint exercise. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Pacific Fleet)
Indo-Pacific

Japan PM to flex muscles for Indo-Pacific security at NATO summit

Kishida plans 4-way meeting on sidelines with South Korea, Australia, New Zealand

25 June 2022
Fuel shortages and breakdowns have plagued coal-fired power plants in eastern Australia. (Photo by Fumi Matsumoto)
Energy

Resource-rich Australia grapples with coal power shortage

Low-carbon transition leaves fossil-fuel plants underinvested

24 June 2022
Pola's tax-free shop in the Sydney international airport features its upscale B.A brand.
Consumer

Japan beauty brand Pola looks overseas to tap post-COVID travel boom

Supplier opens tax-free shops in Australia, Vietnam and Malaysia

20 June 2022
A woman takes a COVID test in Sydney. The rise in flu cases could trigger a twindemic in Australia. 
Coronavirus

Australia faces 'twindemic' threat as flu and COVID collide

48,000 influenza cases reported in 2 weeks after 2 years of major declines

19 June 2022
Mitsui will acquire a 33.7% stake in Climate Friendly, an Australian consultancy that creates and sells CO2 credits. (Photo courtesy of Climate Friendly)
Climate Change

Mitsui to invest in Australian company to create carbon credits

Shares in forest management operator aimed at speeding decarbonization business

18 June 2022
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks on a recent island-hopping trip to the South Pacific. Beijing wants to boost its influence in the region through infrastructure projects such as one near a sea wall in Fiji, left. (Source photos by AP) 
Comment

Is China following Japan's prewar path in the South Pacific?

Beijing's growing clout in strategic region irks U.S., Australia

15 June 2022