Oceania

A police officer stands guard outside the Masjid Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, two days after the March 15, 2019, shooting attack by a lone Australian gunman.
Terrorism

Two years after Christchurch shooting, far-right haunts Australia

New Zealand attack by Australian gunman exemplifies growing security threat

15 March 2021
A U.S. pilot sits in the cockpit of an F-16 Fighting Falcon during sunrise at McEntire Joint National Guard Base, South Carolina. The leaders of the Quad committed to promoting a free, open rules-based order, rooted in international law in the Indo-Pacific at the inaugural summit on Friday. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force)
Indo-Pacific

The Quad comes of age: In pictures

Partnership has eye on China as it pushes for pandemic recovery

15 March 2021
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on March 15. (Source photos by Reuters)
Your Week in Asia

Blinken and Austin in Asia, Toshiba EGM, Australia's #March4Justice

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

14 March 2021
Attorney General Christian Porter addresses the media in Perth on Mar. 3: he denied that the events happened. 
Opinion

Rape allegations reveal Australia's toxic political culture

More than 40 women's protest marches are planned nationwide on March 15

13 March 2021
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, from the State Dining Room of the White House on March 12.
Indo-Pacific

A new dawn: Quad leaders vow to define the Indo-Pacific century

Working group to help develop tech standards; in-person summit planned this year

13 March 2021
Yoshihide Suga, Joe Biden, Scott Morrison and Narendra Modi -- the leaders of the Quad nations -- are stepping up their efforts to counter China. (Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)
Indo-Pacific

Quad tightens rare-earth cooperation to counter China

Japan, India, Australia and US to collaborate in tech, funding and rule-making

11 March 2021
Left to right, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, U.S. President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, want to counter China. (Source photos by AP)
International relations

Quad leaders to agree on vaccine aid to counter China influence

Discussion will also touch on environment, Xinjiang and Myanmar

10 March 2021
An oil refinery in Melbourne: Australia will be left with just two refineries after BP and ExxonMobil shut their facilities.
Energy

Cheap Chinese petroleum drives refineries out of Australia

BP and ExxonMobil closures sound alarm for energy security

9 March 2021
Rambutso Island in the Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea. (Photo by Hans Kemp)
Environment

Singapore startup seeks to preserve Papua New Guinea biodiversity

Ecoshare uses lease scheme to support local people and promote conservation

6 March 2021
The leaders of Australia, the U.S., Japan and India will meet online as early as next week for the first summit of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. (Nikkei montage/photos by Reuters)
Indo-Pacific

First Quad summit mirrors Biden's pivot to Indo-Pacific

Group of democracies converge as China expands defense budget by 6.8%

6 March 2021
More than 230,000 visitors have poured through the doors of the Australian Museum in Sydney since it reopened after a 15-month revamp on Nov. 28, double the rate before it closed. (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)
Arts

Visitor numbers soar after $45 million Sydney museum revamp

Australians flock to Tyrannosaurs exhibition despite pandemic

5 March 2021
A containership at Sydney's Botany Bay in October: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, Australian exporters faced escalating Chinese trade restrictions in 2020.
Economy

Australia's GDP bounce defies China's trade pressure

Exporters find alternative customers as Morrison's COVID response pays off

4 March 2021
Qarhan Salt Lake has helped make China's Qinghai Province a major producer of lithium. (Photo by Yusuke Hinata)
Climate Change

Who will be the battery powerhouse? China, Japan and the West compete

From lithium to assembly, a global dash is on to secure supply chains

2 March 2021
A Tesla dealership in Sydney. Electric vehicles in Australia have so far not taken off with consumers.
Automobiles

Electric car revolution fails to spark for Australia consumers

Resource-rich economy still heavily geared toward fossil fuels

28 February 2021
Ethiopians cross into Sudan in December 2020 as they flee the fighting in Tigray region.
Coronavirus: Free to read

Coronavirus: Week of Feb. 21 to Feb. 27, UN Security Council calls for ceasefires to allow vaccinations

Philippines logs highest case rise in 4 months; Indonesia authorizes private shot scheme

27 February 2021
Qantas Airways saw a sharp turnaround in its freight division as the lack of international flights created a temporary shortage of cargo space due to increased demand.
Transportation

Qantas and Air New Zealand see recovery despite 1H losses

National carriers say international travel to be down even after borders reopen

25 February 2021
Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin receives the country's first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic in Putrajaya on Feb. 24.
Coronavirus

Malaysia starts COVID vaccines in crucial week for Asian jabs

Thailand and Vietnam take deliveries while South Korea prepares first shots

24 February 2021
Facebook has chosen to take a confrontational approach.
Opinion

Facebook's Australia tantrum shows why Big Tech must be reined in

Other nations likely to follow Canberra's lead with their own regulatory frameworks

24 February 2021
Australia and Facebook became locked in a standoff after the government introduced legislation that challenged the dominance of Facebook and Google in the news content market.
Media & Entertainment

Facebook to restore Australian news pages after legislation tweaks

Concession deal struck after a series of talks over the weekend

23 February 2021
A health care professional administers the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Melbourne on Monday as high-risk workers received the first shots in the state of Victoria's rollout of mass vaccination. 
Coronavirus

Australia begins mass COVID-19 vaccination program

Authorities expected to administer more than 60,000 doses by the end of the week

22 February 2021
Women embrace as they attend the 10th-anniversary memorial service in Christchurch, New Zealand, on February 22.
Natural disasters

New Zealand marks 10 years since Christchurch quake

6.3-magnitude temblor in 2011 killed 185 people and injured thousands

22 February 2021
Japan's Naomi Osaka celebrates winning her final match of the women's Australian Open against Jennifer Brady of the U.S.
Life

Naomi Osaka claims 2nd Australian Open and 4th Grand Slam

Japan's ace solidifies her standing as new tennis queen

20 February 2021
Google reached a deal to host articles printed in The Australian and other News Corp media properties. (AAP)
Media & Entertainment

Google sweetens article fees to defuse Australian news spat

Facebook bans article sharing over legislation that would require it to pay

19 February 2021
Stream article image
Indo-Pacific

Quad vows to work with ASEAN and Europe in first Biden-era meeting

Foreign ministers commit to free and open Indo-Pacific with eye on China

19 February 2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak with counterparts from Japan, India and Australia Thursday. (Photo courtesy of the State Department)
Indo-Pacific

Blinken to meet 'Quad' partners Japan, India and Australia on Thursday

Foreign ministers to discuss free and open Indo-Pacific in first meeting in Biden era

18 February 2021