Australia

New South Wales, home to the University of Sydney, would bring in up to 250 international students every two weeks under a recently announced pilot program. (Photo by Fumi Matsumoto)
Education

Foreign student crisis spurs Australian states to reopen doors

Schools in study-abroad hub lose jobs and vital tuition revenue amid lockdown

18 June 2021
Australia's latest mouse plague is wreaking social and economic havoc in New South Wales, the country's most populous state. (Photo courtesy of CSIRO)
Life

Australia's mouse plague highlights low-tech responses in high-tech era

Infestation brings despair to farmers but deadly chemical solution may be poisoned chalice

17 June 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga meeting one on one in Cornwall, England on June 13. (Photo courtesy of the Japanese Prime Minister's Office)
Indo-Pacific

Middle powers Japan and Australia lift relationship to new heights

Quasi-allies seek to augment US relationship, but also hedge against abandonment

16 June 2021
The parody of da Vinci's "The Last Supper" mocks members of the Group of Seven along with partners Australia and India.
International relations

'Last G-7': China revels in parody mocking US and allies

Viral cartoon shows bald eagle with money printer as host in satirical Last Supper

16 June 2021
Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, left, and Akira Amari attend a meeting Tuesday of the Japan-Australia Diet Members League. (Photo by Uichiro Kasai)
Politics

Abe and allies shape Indo-Pacific policy from shadow of parliament

Japan's 'three As,' including Deputy PM Aso and tax chief Amari, wield clout

12 June 2021
From right: Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton and Foreign Minister Marise Payne meet virtually on Wednesday.
International relations

Taiwan features in Japan-Australia 2+2 statement

Partners tout defense cooperation, express concern over East and South China seas

10 June 2021
Escalators connect floors in Grand Central Terminal as part of the East Side Access, a train tunnel that will connect rail yards in Queens with Grand Central in New York. 
Belt and Road

Biden pushes Belt and Road rival 'Blue Dot' with Japan and Australia

Michelin star-like certification to cheer transparent and sustainable infrastructure

9 June 2021
Banpu has announced the purchase of the Manildra solar farm and another New South Wales site. (Photo courtesy of Banpu)
Energy

Thai coal major Banpu aims for 6-fold solar growth with Aussie deal

Group looks to diversify away from source of 80% of its revenue

9 June 2021
Michael Smith's new book, "The Last Correspondent: Dispatches from the Frontline of Xi's New China," is an important contribution to a divisive, and damaging, debate in Australia. (Nikkei Asia montage; source photo by William Hui)
Arts

Book review: Correspondent's account highlights mystery of explusion from Shanghai

Reporter's forced exit from the country raises key questions about deterioration of Sino-Australian ties

6 June 2021
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reviews the Brexit trade deal with the EU that he signed at number 10 Downing Street in London, on Dec. 30.
Trade

UK knocks on TPP door harder after EU exports fall 16%

Britain also nearing trade deals with India and Australia

4 June 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison poses with New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern before talks in Queenstown, New Zealand, on May 31.
International relations

Australia and New Zealand tout Indo-Pacific ties, reject 'coercion'

At summit, neighbors raise China human rights while sidestepping differences

31 May 2021
Scott Morrison's assertion that the aid package will secure a "boost to Australia's long-term fuel security by locking in the future" of its refining sector seems less plausible.
Opinion

Australia throws good money after bad propping up local oil refineries

Canberra should know by now that "fuel security" is a mirage

28 May 2021
Landbridge Group executive Vincent Lai warned the company will demand compensation if Australia cancels its lease over Darwin Port. 
International relations

Chinese owner of Australia's Darwin Port rejects security worry

Landbridge executive insists 99-year lease 'purely commercial'

26 May 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison: If Canberra follows allies in adopting Magnitsky-style sanctions, it could create yet another flashpoint in the countries' tense ties.
Asia Insight

Australia pressed to dispense 'bitter pill' Xinjiang sanctions

Morrison faces calls to match allies' Magnitsky laws but risks China backlash

25 May 2021
Suncity Group is the biggest junket agency in Macao and runs its own casino resorts in Vietnam and Russia, with a third under construction in Manila.
Travel & Leisure

Macao gambling group retreats from Japan bid amid controversies

Suncity ties withdrawal to COVID impact and delays in licensing process

23 May 2021
Sanjeev Gupta, pictured in April 2016: his New Deal for steel promised more than it delivered.
Opinion

The rise and fall of global steel baron Sanjeev Gupta

Pied Piper of Dubai who led many astray now faces fraud charges

21 May 2021
Chinese steelmakers are calling out for iron ore to sustain record high output levels amid orders to support infrastructure development and manufacturing.
Commodities

Australian iron ore miners shine despite China's fury

Confluence of favorable supply and demand factors unlikely to last

19 May 2021
A screen shows the inauguration of President Joe Biden at a shopping mall in Beijing on Jan. 21: the president's honeymoon with China is coming to an end.
Opinion

How far will Biden dare to push China?

President must soon decide how much tougher he wants to become

19 May 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison holds a news conference at the Ampol's Lytton refinery in Brisbane on May 17. (AAP Image/Darren England)
Energy

Australia pledges $1.8bn to keep its last oil refineries humming

Ampol and Viva Energy welcome government package to bolster fuel security

18 May 2021
For Australian opera singer Cathy-Di Zhang, who has spent most of the past year singing around the house while making loaves of sourdough, the chance to perform before a live audience at the Castlemaine State Festival was a huge emotional relief. (Photo courtesy of Castlemaine State Festival)
Arts

How an Australian arts festival shined through COVID-19

The biggest attraction was being able to join a live audience

16 May 2021
Secretary Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister and Minister for Women Marise Payne hold a joint press availability at the U.S. State Department on May 13. 
US-China tensions

US won't leave Australia alone to face China: Blinken

Beijing's economic bullying of allies will harm Sino-American relations, secretary says

14 May 2021
Of Crown Resorts' three major casino properties, only the Crown Melbourne is currently open for betting.
Travel & Leisure

Rivals raise stakes in bidding for Australia's Crown Resorts

Investors welcome news of merger offer from Star Entertainment

10 May 2021
Xi Jinping inspects troops of the People's Liberation Army in June 2017: the Chinese President's belligerence deserves considerable blame.
Opinion

Is Xi Jinping ruining his chances of a third term?

As China's economy races forward, its 'soft power' veers in reverse

10 May 2021
SoftBank Group is set to report a net profit of more than $40 billion, the highest ever for a Japanese company. 
Your Week in Asia

SoftBank comeback, Kelly testifies in Nissan case, Australia budget

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

9 May 2021
A Qantas flight to mark the airline's 100th birthday departs from Sydney Airport in November 2020.
Transportation

Qantas-JAL tie-up faces veto from Australian antitrust regulator

Plan to coordinate flights would undermine post-pandemic competition: watchdog

6 May 2021