Australia

Bill Granger at the Fortnum & Mason Food & Drink Awards in London on May 21, 2015.
Obituaries

Bill Granger, Australia's 'king of breakfast,' dies at 54

Self-taught chef popularized avocado toast, created a global restaurant empire

27 December 2023
An Australian LNG tanker at the port of Yokohama: Japan relies heavily on fossil fuel imports, with as much as 40% of its LNG coming from Australia. 
Opinion

Australia and Japan must recast their energy relationship

Exports of fossil fuels could give way to green metals and critical minerals

26 December 2023
Recently listed Brazilian Rare Earths is in the early stage of exploring for deposits in Brazil's northeastern state of Bahia. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and Brazilian Rare Earths) 
Commodities

Rare earths company backed by Australian mining magnate surges on listing

Brazilian Rare Earths ends first trading day up 9% amid hopes for green tech industry

21 December 2023
 An Australian court has ordered Airbnb to pay a fine and compensation for misleading users over the currency they were being charged in. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP) 
Travel & Leisure

Airbnb hit with $10m fine for misleading users in Australia

Platform will also pay compensation to users confused over pricing

21 December 2023
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon hold a joint press conference at the Commonwealth Parliament Offices in Sydney on Dec. 20.
Defense

New Zealand 'interested in exploring' AUKUS opportunities

PM Luxon meets Australia's Albanese on first official trip overseas

20 December 2023
An independent inquiry found Australia's visa system to be broken, with applications backed up for years.
Opinion

Australia is getting a better grip on immigration

Government puts new focus on quality, timeliness and economic competitiveness

20 December 2023
The inaugural Asia Zero Emission Community summit meeting in Tokyo on Dec. 18. (Pool photo via Kyodo)
Environment

Japan-led Asian green initiative works to scale up transition finance

Leaders from ASEAN and Australia join inaugural AZEC summit for net-zero goals

18 December 2023
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking's asset management business is a core piece of its global business strategy.
Business deals

Mitsubishi UFJ Trust to buy Australian pension administration company

Deal for $745m is part of efforts to expand asset management business

18 December 2023
Roper River map delegation members, from left, Rosina Farrell, Naomi Wilfred, Linda Williams, Daphne Daniels, Roland Nundhirribala and Clive Nunggarrgalu. (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)
Life

Indigenous Australians bring 'songlines' and cultural map to Canberra

After failed referendum, a 'life-or-death' plea to protect the Northern Territory's Roper River

10 December 2023
Bangladesh's capital Dhaka is prone to flooding after heavy rains. The South Asian nation is battling myriad climate-change challenges
COP28

From Dhaka to Melbourne, Asia-Pacific eyes local climate solutions

City mayors gather at COP28 to brainstorm how to deal with rising temperatures

9 December 2023
A Virginia-class attack submarine is seen in the waters off Washington state. The NDAA authorizes the sale of three such submarines to Australia. (U.S. Navy)
Indo-Pacific

U.S. defense bill strengthens military ties with AUKUS, Japan

Congress authorizes 3 nuclear-powered subs for Australia

9 December 2023
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is under pressure to build nuclear reactors to help his country achieve its climate goals. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by AP)
Energy

Albanese urged to end Australia nuclear 'ban' to hit net-zero goal

PM under domestic, international pressure to help decarbonize economy

8 December 2023
Bananas and melons from Queensland are sold on a trial basis at a store in Yokohama in November. (Photo by Nikkei)
Food & Beverage

Australia wants Japanese shoppers to go bananas for its fruits

'Eco' bananas and 'winter season' mangoes promoted for promising market

8 December 2023
A pedestrian walks past a real estate agency in Sydney's central business district on Nov. 15.
Politics

Australia's Albanese faces immigration heat as house prices soar

First-time buyers getting squeezed out of property market

6 December 2023
AUKUS leaders U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gather at a naval base in San Diego in March 2023.
Defense

AUKUS to step up testing of maritime drones amid China buildup

U.S., U.K. and Australian defense chiefs vow to advance open Indo-Pacific

2 December 2023
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, stands with AUKUS partners U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during a March meeting in California.
Defense

Australia looks to restrict defense tech access by foreigners

Protecting AUKUS secrets is goal, but universities worry about joint research

1 December 2023
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer fires a Tomahawk missile in a training area. Japan seeks to acquire Tomahawks. (U.S. Navy handout via Reuters)
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific to see huge missile buildup by 2030s, Carnegie analyst says

To avoid escalation, countries should 'forswear preemptive attacks' on national leaders

28 November 2023
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Nov. 6.
Comment

Australia's Albanese tackles China paradox with shrewd diplomacy

Premier carefully juggles trade and security to achieve long-term deterrence

27 November 2023
Established in June 2014, ROC Partners specializes in private equity in the Asia-Pacific region. (Source photos by AP and ROC Partners website)
DealStreetAsia

Australia's ROC Partners raising $300m for latest Asia fund

Private equity investment manager has taken in about $66m so far

24 November 2023
Australian law enforcement agencies have recorded almost 94,000 separate or individual cyberattacks over the past 12 months. (Nikkei Montage/Source photos by AP and Reuters)
Defense

Australia announces 'game changing' cybersecurity plan

Minister says looming online security threat offers 'a cyber opportunity'

22 November 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in California on Nov. 17.
Opinion

Australia's Albanese paid a high price for his trip to China

Canberra no longer seems willing to stand up for rules-based international order

22 November 2023
Tokyo Gas and Santos are focusing on the Cooper Basin area of Queensland as they explore the feasibility of producing a type of methane that promises carbon neutrality. (Photo courtesy of Tokyo Gas)
Energy

Tokyo Gas teams up with Santos for Australia green methane study

Japanese utility to look at practicality of producing synthetic gas to sell at home

21 November 2023
Fortescue Metals Group is working to reduce its dependence on its mainstay iron ore operations.
Energy

Australia's Fortescue to build U.S. plant for hydrogen, EV tech

Miner advances diversification into clean energy supply chain

18 November 2023
Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano, right, and Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on One Foot Island on Nov. 9: The leaders unveiled a deal for "migration with dignity." (AAP Image via AP)
Opinion

Australian climate action must go beyond 'lifeline' for Tuvalu

Migration deal will not fit as model for wider Pacific region

17 November 2023
Container shipping operations in Port Botany. Crucial Australian infrastructure is increasingly coming under cyberattacks.
Technology

Australia cyberattacks up 23%, infrastructure targeted, report says

Russia and China blamed for backing malware-based hacks

17 November 2023