New Zealand

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who holds the key to the world's largest trade deal, will attend several summits in Bangkok.
International relations

China, Japan and ASEAN await India's nod to seal RCEP trade deal

Negotiators in last-minute effort after ministerial talks ended without breakthrough

2 November 2019
Ministers of RCEP member nations gather for negotiation in Bangkok on Nov. 1. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
International relations

Asia ministers end RCEP trade talks without breakthrough

Leaders of 16 nations to release joint statement on deal's status Monday

2 November 2019
An ASEAN summit kicks off five days of meetings in Bangkok that will conclude on Monday evening with a summit of the 16 nations trying to put together the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
International relations

RCEP: Five things to know about Asia's mega trade talks

India frustrates China, demanding its farmers and industries be protected

31 October 2019
A humpback whale breaches in Gold Coast, Australia. The possibility of witnessing these spectacular splashes is a big tourist draw.  
Life

New-style whaling industry draws tourists Down Under

Watching the world's biggest mammals is big business in Australia

30 October 2019
Indigenous people have fought for decades to halt climbing on Uluru.
Politics

Uluru climbing ban takes effect as indigenous peoples make strides

Governments and business increasingly recognize rights of native populations

26 October 2019
Rio Tinto's borax mine in California where high-grade lithium was found in waste rock. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Materials

California lithium find offers boon for American security

Rio Tinto to build $10m pilot plant, hoping to be top producer in US

26 October 2019
Customers pay just a quarter of the bill at the time of purchase, with the rest automatically withdrawn from a bank account in three successive biweekly installments. (Photo by Fumi Matsumoto)
Finance

Australia's 'shop now, pay later' giant faces regulatory scrutiny

Afterpay woos millennials with bite-size scheduled payments

22 October 2019
The All Blacks perform the traditional Haka dance in Japan, a key element of the team's brand.
Rugby World Cup

All Blacks scrum with Hello Kitty to dominate business

New Zealand's rugby team pours ad revenues into further team building

20 October 2019
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International relations

Solomon Island lease sparks alarm over China's military footprint

Canberra on edge over Chinese company's plan to develop Tulagi in South Pacific

19 October 2019
NASA rendering of an ascent vehicle of the Artemis program blasting off from the surface of the moon.
International relations

Australia joins US in battle with China for space supremacy

New agency tasked with diversifying economy while bolstering military ties

18 October 2019
The Brisbane River is seen flowing past the skyline of central Brisbane.
DealStreetAsia

Australia’s QIC sells landmark Brisbane property to Shayher

Taiwanese-backed buyer recently acquired Bulimba Barracks in Brisbane

17 October 2019
Graham Gilbert, one of the artists involved with The Torch program. (Courtesy of The Torch)
Arts

Indigenous offenders in Australia find new life in art

Pioneering prison program aims to foster pride and creativity among country's Aboriginal population

16 October 2019
Japan's Rugby World Cup squad has players from various backgrounds. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
Tea Leaves

Lessons in identity and sport from Planet Rugby

Japan's Brave Blossoms show they have skin in the game

16 October 2019
Cattle stir up dust in a drought-affected paddock on the outskirts of Dubbo in New South Wales.
Economy

Australian farm exports wither under 'worst drought in 50 years'

Wheat shortage hits Indonesian noodle makers while bushfires rage in Queensland

15 October 2019
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International relations

China's new ties with Solomon Islands flash on US radar

Strategists fear Beijing's extended power projection in South Pacific

11 October 2019
Donald Trump, left, Shinzo Abe, center, and Narendra Modi hold a meeting on June 28: the Quad's main strategic use is for signaling purposes.
Opinion

India grows keener on the Quad as relationship with China worsens

Four-sided alliance with US, Australia and Japan offers needed friends

10 October 2019
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare walk past the Chinese honor guard in Beijing on Oct. 9.
International relations

Beijing embraces Solomon Islands after switch from Taipei

Xi calls Pacific nation an extension of 'Maritime Silk Road'

10 October 2019
Tsai Ing-wen rejuvenated the New Southbound Policy in 2016 while Beijing launched its measures to bring Taipei back into line.
Opinion

Taiwan's New Southbound Policy is decreasing its reliance on China

Looking to regional neighbors for closer trade relationships is bearing fruit

4 October 2019
The U.S. military conducted on Aug. 18 a flight test of a type of missile banned for more than 30 years by a treaty that both the United States and Russia abandoned in that month.
Opinion

China will use economic pain to hinder US's Pacific missile deployment

Beijing's leverage looms over American allies like Philippines and South Korea

4 October 2019
Military vehicles carrying YJ anti-ship missiles march during the military parade in September 2015: China's new weapons will make the South China Sea a deadly environment.
Opinion

China's military buildup is worry for neighbors and warning for US

Hypersonic missiles and stealthy jets bolster Beijing's might

1 October 2019
Lockheed-Martin says more than 50 Australian companies are involved in the entire F-35 program.
Politics

Australia turns to military spending for jobs and growth

$135bn spree has analysts wondering if 'defense dividend' will materialize

30 September 2019
Soybean plants stretch to the horizon on a farm in Barreiras, Brazil, the world's largest exporter of the crop.
Business deals

Trade war sparks $650m Sumitomo Chemical deal in South America

Japanese company to buy Australian agrichemical peer's soybean-focused assets

30 September 2019
Fonterra's dairy products account for more than 20% of the country's exports.
Food & Beverage

Why New Zealand's Fonterra is rethinking global ambitions

Worldwide expansion jarred with its roots as a local cooperative

28 September 2019
Fonterra's normalised earnings per share for the year was 17 cents, above the last forecast for the year of 10-15 cents.
Food & Beverage

New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra posts record annual loss

Shares rise despite writedowns totalling NZ$826 million

26 September 2019
With the loss of the Solomon Islands and Kiribati, Taiwan now retains diplomatic ties with only 15 countries.
Comment

South Pacific pivot to Beijing recasts regional chessboard

Diplomatic switches to China mirror Japan's WWII strategic dominance over region

22 September 2019