Oceania

At the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the Roll of Honour, adorned with red poppies, lists the names of over 102,000 members of the Australian armed forces who have died in service. (Courtesy of Australian War Memorial)
Life

Costly expansion of Australia's war memorial stirs controversy

Critics argue that national budget better spent on fighting pandemic than elevating war memories

12 September 2021
A medical worker administers a COVID-19 test at a testing clinic in Auckland on Aug. 26. 
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Sept. 5 to Sept. 11, Daily cases in New Zealand more than double

Vietnam approves UAE-made Chinese jab Hayat-Vax; Toyota cuts production goal

11 September 2021
In this image made from video, Lt. Col. Mamady Doumbouya, center, commander of the army's special forces unit, surrounded by others and draped in a Guinean flag, makes an address to the nation from state television headquarters in Guinea's capital, Conakry, on Sept. 5.
Commodities

Guinea coup upends China strategy as aluminum prices soar

Beijing's dependence on Australia rises while uncertainty clouds African source

8 September 2021
Rio Tinto has offered to waive interest on its loan to Mongolia to finance its share of the costs for the underground phase of Oyu Tolgoi, a government official said. (Courtesy Turquoise Hill Resources)
Materials

Mongolia to 'carefully review' financing offer from Rio Tinto

Officials warn $6.8bn Oyu Tolgoi expansion talks could take several years

31 August 2021
Protestors in Pakistan demonstrate against debt servitude. Australia implemented a law in 2019 that requires businesses to disclose labor abuses in their supply chains.
Business trends

Suspect suppliers ousted under Australia's anti-trafficking law

Retailer Woolworths takes steps to rid supply chain of Xinjiang cotton

31 August 2021
A medical staff worker speaks with a patient about to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine at a COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Sydney on Aug. 25. 
Coronavirus

Australia logs record COVID-19 cases amid New South Wales surge

Despite the numbers, state government says it will ease some restrictions

28 August 2021
New Zealanders drive to a vaccination center in Auckland on Aug. 26, with the country's largest city under a strict lockdown.
Coronavirus

New Zealand's delta COVID outbreak grows amid race to vaccinate

Extended lockdown tests economic resilience with uncertain end point

27 August 2021
Evacuees from Afghanistan board a Royal Australian Air Force KC-30 aircraft on Aug. 24.
Afghanistan turmoil

Australia urged to do more for Afghan aides as time runs out

Veterans and opposition figures press Canberra over relatively low evacuee numbers

27 August 2021
One of the most beautiful black opals from Lightning Ridge is the 180-carat Aurora Australis, on display at the Altmann & Cherny retail store in Sydney. (Courtesy of Altmann & Cherny)
Life

Australia's black opal fields lure dreamers and prospectors

Part-time miners flock to desolate but colorful Lightning Ridge in search of riches

27 August 2021
The Australian dollar touched a roughly nine-month low against the U.S. dollar last week.
Currencies

China risk sends Australian, South Korean currencies sliding

Fear of Chinese slowdown weighs on export-heavy nations

27 August 2021
The Singapore Exchange cut the required market cap for SPACs by half after consultation revealed that stakeholders found the previous level prohibitively high.
Companies

SGX joins Hong Kong exchange in moving to tighten climate rules

Sustainability reporting to be made stricter as bourses prod listed companies

26 August 2021
Warships participate in the 2020 Malabar exercise involving the four Quad members: the U.S., Japan, India and Australia.
International relations

Quad navies gather for drills as Australia courts India on trade

'Good luck with that,' expert says of Canberra's push for alternative to China

26 August 2021
An 11-year-old boy collecting garbage at the Bhalswa garbage dump in North Delhi, India earlier this year. ADB estimates that up to 80 million more people have been plunged into extreme poverty by the impact of the pandemic.
Economy

Pandemic plunges 80m people in Asia into extreme poverty: ADB

Latest findings show region's sustainable development agenda under threat

24 August 2021
Communities that live along Papua New Guinea's snaking Sepik River have a deep, even spiritual connection to the waterway. They say an ambitious mine project threatens the river.
Asia Insight

China-backed mining deepens Papua New Guinea's golden dilemma

COVID raises economic need but history of disputes and Beijing's rise fuel opposition

24 August 2021
Talbingo dam, part of Snowy 2.0 pumped-storage scheme in Australia: we need long-term, large capacity energy storage for when the wind does not blow and the sun does not shine. (Handout photo from Snowy Hydro)
Opinion

Energy storage is ignored crisis within the climate crisis

Hydropower essential to back up wind and solar

22 August 2021
Workers stand in line at a production line of mobile phones in Noida in May 2020: India displacing China as a global manufacturing hub is more about wishful thinking.
Opinion

India nowhere near ready to substitute for China

Better integration into existing value chains is needed first

18 August 2021
A BHP-invested oil field in the Gulf of Mexico: The company says it is considering a potential merger of its petroleum business with Woodside Petroleum. (Photo courtesy of BHP)
Business deals

BHP moves to shed oil and gas for nickel, tapping into EV demand

Company sets sights on 'forward-facing' metal in decarbonization drive

17 August 2021
A woman with a burning pram sits outside Parliament House in Canberra, during an Extinction Rebellion climate protest on Aug. 10.
Climate Change

Australia balks at net zero as climate turns up heat on Morrison

Critics say pressure to act will only build as issue hurts Canberra's global image

13 August 2021
Protesters throw pot plants at mounted police during an anti-lockdown rally in Sydney on July 24.
Opinion

How Australia became the world's most luxurious prison

Convict past is key to understanding the country's overseas travel ban

13 August 2021
The deal, which includes a A$250 million premium, will elevate NAB's personal banking business as the lender vies for a bigger share among Australia's "Big Four" banks that control more than 80% of the market.
Finance

NAB to buy Citi's Australia consumer business in $882m deal

Move comes after US lender said it would exit its 13 overseas consumer operations

9 August 2021
After the deal is complete, Dai-Ichi's Australian unit, TAL, already the biggest life insurer in Australia, will control one-third of the market. (Source photos by Kosaku Mimura and Reuters) 
Business deals

Japan's Dai-ichi Life to buy Westpac's insurance arm in Australia

Deal worth $664m will give Dai-ichi subsidiary TAL one-third market share

6 August 2021
Singapore's central bank is allowing United Overseas Bank, DBS and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp to pay out higher dividends.
Finance

Singapore's DBS hikes payouts as other lenders reel from COVID

Central banks in the city-state and Thailand ease guidance on dividends

5 August 2021
A Japanese Olympian captures footage of himself during the opening ceremony. Many athletes use social media to engage with fans, but this has its pitfalls.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

'Go die': Cyberbullying adds to Olympic athletes' mental hurdles

From Japan to Malaysia to New Zealand, sports stars and officials cry foul

4 August 2021
The RBA affirmed its decision to trim purchases of government bonds to AU$4 billion a week from September, from the current weekly pace of AU$5 billion.
Economy

Australia central bank to trim bond buying despite delta COVID risk

Hawkish decision surprises markets but RBA sees virus pressure as temporary

3 August 2021
The Crown Melbourne generates nearly three-quarters of its parent company's profits.
Travel & Leisure

Crown Resorts fights to defend Melbourne jewel

License to operate Australia's biggest casino in jeopardy over 'misconduct'

2 August 2021