Australia

China's suspension of an economic dialogue pact with Australia casts doubt on the notion that while ties have deteriorated, day-to-day relations are still intact, according to one expert.
International relations

China freeze on Australia dialogue cuts deeper into practical ties

Beijing's move called 'worrying' but still short of 'nuclear option' on FTA

6 May 2021
New South Wales regulators have extended temporary liquor licenses for the Crown Sydney, but have yet to approve gaming at the $1.7 billion hotel. (Photo by Prashant Mehra)
Travel & Leisure

Rival bidders bet better days ahead for Australia's Crown Resorts

Despite fines, forced closures and regulatory probes, higher offers expected

6 May 2021
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosts a virtual G-7 meeting in February. This week's gathering of foreign ministers will be the group's first in-person meeting since COVID-19 hit. (File photo by pool/AP)
International relations

China and Russia's authoritarian challenge hangs over G-7 meeting

India, Australia, South Korea and ASEAN to attend London summit as guests

3 May 2021
Peter Dutton, left, Australia's new defense minister, has signaled a tough stance on China.
1 May 2021
Australian Olympians pose in front of the Sydney Opera House at the unveiling of the team uniforms for the 2020 Tokyo Games on March 31.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Australia to prioritize COVID vaccines for Tokyo-bound Olympians

AOC head lauds 'added layer of assurance' as Japan fights virus wave

27 April 2021
Indonesian military officials show debris believed to have come from the missing submarine on April 24. (Courtesy of Indonesian military)
International relations

Indonesian submarine deemed to have sunk after debris turns up

Oxygen was expected to run out early Saturday, depending on electricity

24 April 2021
Virgin Australia aircraft at Sydney Airport after a thunderstorm. The airline went bankrupt last year in the wake of the pandemic but hopes to receive a boost from the cheap fares.
Travel & Leisure

Australia's half-price tickets lift airlines but hotels remain grounded

$930m stimulus leaves accommodation sector 'for dead,' critics say

22 April 2021
In better days: Staff members chat at a Beijing venue as they prepare a seminar of Australia-China bilateral cooperation in resources and infrastructure in Western  Australia. 
Belt and Road

Australia nixes state Belt and Road deals with China in first veto

Morrison government uses new powers amid concerns over Beijing's influence

22 April 2021
Japan Post aims to restructure its international strategy by selling off unprofitable parts of Toll Holdings.
Business deals

Japan Post to sell part of Australia's Toll, booking $624m loss

Deal will unload unprofitable domestic segment of logistics group

21 April 2021
A passenger prepares to catch a flight to New Zealand at Australia's Sydney Airport on April 19, as the countries' quarantine-free travel bubble opens.
Coronavirus

Australia-New Zealand travel bubble off to fast, emotional start

Quarantine-free trips raise hopes for an economic shot in the arm

19 April 2021
Citibank headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. The U.S. bank is closing its retail business in Malaysia and a number of other countries in Asia
Finance

From Manila to Seoul, Citigroup ends an era of pan-Asian retail banking

US lender will prioritize Hong Kong and Singapore wealth management

16 April 2021
Qantas Airways expects domestic passenger capacity to exceed pre-COVID levels in the next fiscal year.
Transportation

Qantas sees domestic flights back at 90% capacity this quarter

Australian carrier enjoys local travel revival as country controls COVID spread

16 April 2021
Fortescue is looking to Tasmania to produce green hydrogen. The island state last year became fully powered by renewable energy.
Environment

Iron ore giant Fortescue bets on green hydrogen in zero-carbon push

Aussie mining company to ease dependence on China and cultivate Japanese market

10 April 2021
Members of Victoria Police perform random checks in Melbourne in July 2020: Australian police have a insidious method of breaking the human spirit.
Opinion

Why I no longer call Australia home

The Lucky Country's unbearable slide into paternalism

9 April 2021
Mathias Cormann, Australia's former Finance Misister and the secretary-general designate of the OECD, pictured in October 2020: there is one way Cormann could be a real game-changer.
Opinion

The OECD should set its sights on China

Mathias Cormann's golden chance to even up the global economic system

8 April 2021
Japan will propose an in-person summit with fellow Quad members the U.S., India and Australia.
International relations

Japan seeks first in-person Quad summit in June on G-7 sidelines

Suga plans trip to India after Washington visit to shore up support

8 April 2021
One analyst told Nikkei Asia that the central bank is "genuinely worried that the government will start to consolidate the fiscal position prematurely" as the economy improves.
Economy

Australia's fast COVID recovery leaves central bank nursing doubts

RBA wary of government focus on deficit as China looms and vaccines lag

6 April 2021
French amphibious assault helicopter carrier, Tonnerre, approaches to dock at Cochin Port, in Kochi on March 30.
Indo-Pacific

France to lead Quad naval drill in Indo-Pacific challenge to China

Five-nation exercise in Bay of Bengal seeks to promote maritime cooperation

2 April 2021
Australian officials deliver thousands of initial AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on March 23.
Coronavirus

Australia vaccine diplomacy tested as COVID slams Papua New Guinea

Vying with China for Pacific influence, Quad member aims to win over skeptics

31 March 2021
The freighter Shinas Max carrying 400,000 tons of iron ore is berthed at Zhoushan Port in China's Zhejiang Province. China currently relies on Australia for more than 60% of its iron ore imports.
Commodities

China determined to build iron ore hub in Africa as Australia goes Quad

World's largest untapped reserve in Guinea could be online by 2025, expert says

31 March 2021
 A Dash studio in downtown Hong Kong costs HK$8,000 to HK$30,000 a month, including internet, utilities, housekeeping and on-site events. (Photos courtesy Dash Living)
Property

Hong Kong co-living group raises funds for Asia-Pacific expansion

Unscathed by pandemic, Dash Living eyes Tokyo and Sydney

30 March 2021
China continues to import Australian iron ore as part of its economic recovery push even as it imposes tariffs and other curbs on other Australian products.
Trade

Despite China feud, Australia resource exports to hit record by value

Soaring iron ore prices make up for friction in bilateral trade

30 March 2021
Australia's buoyant property market is served by over 260 dedicated tech companies, half of which are less than five years old. (Photo by Fumi Matsumoto)
Property

Australian tech revolutionizes business practices in property

Contract signing times for rental renewals slashed from 7 days to 4 minutes

29 March 2021
The International Energy Agency predicts that renewables will be the number one source of electricity within five years, overtaking natural gas and coal.
Opinion

How COVID-19 gave renewables an energy boost

Even oil majors concede pandemic may have marked peak fossil fuel production

27 March 2021
A man wades through his flooded yard in a Western Sydney suburb on March 23. Some experts say plans to build more houses in flood-prone areas should be scrapped.
Natural disasters

Australia floods raise alarm on Sydney's great housing gamble

Plans to meet surging home demand go underwater as rain wreaks havoc

25 March 2021