Australia

China and India were the main drivers for the growth in Asia's defense spending, SIPRI said. (Source photo by Reuters and Getty Images)
Indo-Pacific

'Geopolitical powder keg' Asia jacks up global military spending

SIPRI report shows Japan and Singapore raised defense budgets over 7% in 2021

25 April 2022
Santos decided last year to build a $165 million carbon capture facility in central Australia. (Photo courtesy of Santos)
Climate Change

Australia's Santos aims for 'world's largest' carbon capture plant

Decarbonization tech gains traction in resource-rich country to offset emissions

22 April 2022
A display case shows photos outside Chinese Embassy in Honiara, Solomon Islands, on April 2: China is here to stay in the Pacific.
Opinion

Solomon Islands pact cements China's Pacific power status

Recent controversy is just the first step in a long-running struggle

19 April 2022
Narendra Modi, right, and Scott Morrison, upper left, hold a virtual signing ceremony on April 2: India is slowly emerging from its protectionist cocoon. (Handout photo from India's Press Information Bureau)
Opinion

India and Australia's winning deal on trade will boost the Quad

Canberra and New Delhi finally move beyond cricket, curry and the Commonwealth

18 April 2022
Scott Morrison addresses the media in Canberra on April 10: The coalition ad used evocative cinematography.
Opinion

Australia's Scott Morrison sharpens his pitch for the 'bloke vote'

Conservative coalition is counting on conservative men to win reelection

18 April 2022
Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to reporters in Sydney on Feb. 24.
Australia election

Australian PM Morrison calls general election on May 21

Trailing in polls, ruling coalition is attacking Labor for being 'pro-China'

10 April 2022
A container ship off Mumbai. The India-Australia deal is expected to almost double bilateral annual trade in the next five years.
Indo-Pacific

India-Australia trade pact pushes back against 'panda in the room'

Long-stalled deal came together as Quad partners aim to cut dependence on China

10 April 2022
Alvin Chau's Suncity Group has been forced to shut the VIP rooms it operated with all six of Macao's casino operators. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Getty Images) 
Business Spotlight

Downfall of Macao's junket king rocks Asia-Pacific gambling world

Alvin Chau was seen as a pillar of the community but now sits in jail

8 April 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
Ukraine war

NATO, Asia-Pacific partners agree to bolster cooperation

Cyber defense, new technologies and countering disinformation will become focus

8 April 2022
The U.S., U.K. and Australia will cooperate on the development of hypersonic weapons and electronic warfare capabilities. 
6 April 2022
The Port of Newcastle in Australia is expected to get busier now that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is adding to the upward pressure on coal prices. (AAP)
Energy

Australian coal majors' earnings swell as demand takes off

'Live with virus' strategies, Ukraine war, even bad weather inflate prices

4 April 2022
Scott Morrison at Parliament House on Mar. 29: things may not go according to plan.
Opinion

Do not count Australia's ruling coalition out just yet

A change of government is likely, but not definite

4 April 2022
China's first F1 driver, Zhou Guanyu, and Thai driver Alex Albon will take part in the Formula One Australian Grand Prix when the event returns after a two-year hiatus.
Your Week in Asia

Asian Development Outlook, Samsung earnings, Australian Grand Prix

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

3 April 2022
The tie-up is designed to ease the investment burden on NTT, the world's third-largest data center operator.
Telecommunication

NTT ties up with Australian fund Macquarie in data center investment

$800m deal to co-own European and American facilities of Japanese telecom group

2 April 2022
Solomon Islands citizens tour a landing craft from a New Zealand ship that dropped off personnel and supplies in 2013. The islands' government is drawing closer to China. (Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy)
International relations

No China base: Solomon Islands' denial does little to quell fears

Analyst says Sogavare risks boxing himself in despite vow not to choose sides

29 March 2022
Regulators in New South Wales have been holding public hearings as part of their review of Star’s suitability to run its flagship casino in Sydney.
Travel & Leisure

CEO of Australian casino group Star quits amid Chinese cash probe

Bekier 'takes responsibility' for alleged failings of money laundering controls

28 March 2022
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose government will unveil a new budget on March 29, is seeking to engineer a come-from-behind election victory.
Economy

Australia PM faces budget test as inflation flares before election

Morrison set to court vulnerable voters amid calls to spend responsibly

28 March 2022
Uluru, the massive sandstone monolith also known as Ayers Rock, is one of Australia's most important Indigenous sites. (Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

Time to listen to Australia's Indigenous voices

After 234 years, original inhabitants deserve proper hearing

23 March 2022
Loy Yang coal fired power station, operated by AGL Energy, in the state of Victoria. Australia relies on coal for more than half of its power generation.
Energy

Australian power companies speed closure of coal-fired plants

Doubts grow over security of country's power supply

22 March 2022
A poster in support of Russia, stuck by a right-wing group, is seen in New Delhi in early March. India is the only Quad member that has not condemned Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
International relations

India says Australia 'understands' Ukraine stance as war tests Quad

Modi, loath to condemn Russia, and Morrison agree to keep Indo-Pacific in focus

21 March 2022
Kirin's whisky Fuji will make its debut in China and Australia in April. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Food & Beverage

Kirin to export Fuji whisky to China, Australia in April

Distiller aims to expand spirits exports amid shrinking home market

17 March 2022
Clockwise from top right: Japanese trade minister Koichi Hagiuda meets virtually with Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal and Australian trade minister Dan Tehan on March 15. (Photo by Satsuki Kaneko)
Supply Chain

Japan, Australia and India target Indo-Pacific supply-chain code

Agreed principles will establish data-sharing and transparency standards

16 March 2022
Scott Morrison, pictured in Sydney on Feb. 24: the reckoning will likely come at the ballot box soon,
Opinion

Australia's not-so-clean image a problem of Scott Morrison's making

Decision not to pursue Crown Resorts directors over money laundering surprised many

10 March 2022
Dock workers at a port in India.
Trade

Australia, India move toward free trade pact to cut China dependence

'Early harvest' interim agreement expected as early as this month

9 March 2022
Air Japan President and CEO Hideki Mineguchi poses during a news conference in Tokyo on March 8. (Photo by Kohnosuke Urata)
8 March 2022