Oceania

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
People wait for coronavirus tests at a makeshift testing site in Seoul on March 2. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week from March 6 to March 12: South Korea logs record high of over 380,000 cases

China allows use of rapid antigen test kits; Japan considers offering fourth vaccine shot

12 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
A significant proportion of Australians of Chinese descent have reported being subjected to racism since the pandemic began and relations with Beijing deteriorated.
International relations

Australia's tough-on-China election stirs fears of racism, tensions

Critics question costs as Morrison hammers Beijing for alleged meddling, Ukraine

8 March 2022
A U.S. nuclear submarine: Australia is due to acquire such subs under the AUKUS alliance, and it is set to build a base for them.
International relations

Australia to build $7.4bn nuclear submarine base

Morrison warns 'assault' by autocracies poses gravest security risk in 80 years

7 March 2022
AGL's earnings have been hammered in recent years by an influx of cheap solar and wind power.
Energy

Australia's AGL Energy shuns 2nd bid from Brookfield-led consortium

Revised deal was valued at $4bn but the company deems it as 'materially the same'

7 March 2022
The government's working group on basic measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic meets on March 4 in Tokyo. The group recommended the extension of the quasi-state of emergency in some prefectures.
5 March 2022
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks with the leaders of the U.S., India and Australia online on March 3. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
Indo-Pacific

Quad urges India to condemn Russia over Ukraine

New Delhi has abstained from voting at U.N. General Assembly

4 March 2022
Australia's economy continues to recover from the pandemic, but the persistence of COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis make the outlook harder to gauge.
Economy

Australia GDP up 3.4% in Q4 as election looms for Morrison

Consumers help push annual growth to 4.2% but Ukraine war fuels inflation threat

2 March 2022
A view of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Japan's benchmark index closed lower on Feb. 21 as investors worried about the situation surrounding Ukraine.
Markets

Nikkei index closes down over fears Russia may invade Ukraine

Japanese benchmark recovers some losses as efforts ramp up to prevent conflict

21 February 2022
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison's Liberal-National Party coalition is trailing in the polls with an election approaching fast.
Politics

Australia reopens to world as election sparring heats up

Behind in polls, PM eyes tourism boost, accuses foes of doing China's bidding

21 February 2022
Investors who bought in at the top of a surge in "buy now, pay later" stocks are nursing hefty losses and putting their faith in industry consolidation to revive battered prices. (Source photos by Reuters, Getty Images and courtesy of Afterpay) 
Market Spotlight

'Buy now, pay later' companies lose their stock market luster

Shares tank as investors reevaluate new lending sector

21 February 2022
Scott Morrison, pictured in Canberra on Feb. 1: the Prime Minister portrays Labor and its leadership as compromised on national security.
Opinion

Chinese reds-under-bed hysteria will not scare Australian voters

Attempts to tie Labor-led opposition to Beijing fall flat

21 February 2022
Passengers at Sydney Airport in November 2021: Australia reopens to fully vaccinated tourists, business travelers and other visa holders on Feb. 21.
Your Week in Asia

Australia reopens, South Korean presidential debates, Hong Kong vaccine passport

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

20 February 2022
Moderna, which developed one of the main COVID-19 vaccines used worldwide, is looking to begin production in Asia. (Source photo by Akira Kodaka and Reuters)
Interview

Moderna taps Singapore, Hong Kong for COVID era expansion

Taiwan, Malaysia also picked; CEO Bancel eyes vaccine plants in Asia

16 February 2022
Tonga's recovery efforts have stalled in the face of disrupted communications and a COVID-19 outbreak.
Natural disasters

Tonga's recovery effort hampered by COVID lockdown, 1 month on

World Bank pegs economic damage from eruption at nearly a fifth of GDP

15 February 2022
From left: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi speak to reporters on Feb. 11.
Ukraine war

Ukraine crisis 'impacts' Indo-Pacific, Blinken says at Quad meeting

Foreign ministers gather in Australia with regional order 'under pressure'

11 February 2022
Inpex plans to separate and recover carbon dioxide for gas at a plant near the northern city of Darwin.
Climate Change

Japan's Inpex to spearhead carbon capture at Australian gas field

Company seeks global partners for project located near Darwin

9 February 2022
A new Tritium manufacturing facility in Tennessee will produce 30,000 electric vehicle chargers a year. 
Climate Change

Biden welcomes Australian EV charger's plan for Tennessee plant

U.S. set to announce state-by-state allocation of $5bn for charging network

9 February 2022
Scott Morrison, pictured in Canberra on Feb. 1: the Australian prime minister has benefited from a benign environment.
Opinion

Defeat stalks Australia's Scott Morrison as May poll looms

Speculation that ruling party could switch leaders before general election

7 February 2022
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will head to Australia next week for a Quad foreign ministers' meeting. 
International relations

Blinken's Asia visit to emphasize commitment despite Ukraine crisis

U.S. secretary of state meets with Quad counterparts and Pacific Island states

5 February 2022