WEATHER ALERT
Climate-threatened Pacific Islands criticize Australia at Commonwealth meeting
Read full article: Climate-threatened Pacific Islands criticize Australia at Commonwealth meetingSeveral Pacific island nations singled out Australia to do more to phase out fossil fuel exports during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which opened in Samoa on Thursday.
Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Beirut kills 9 as troops battle Hezbollah in southern Lebanon
Read full article: Middle East latest: Israeli strike in Beirut kills 9 as troops battle Hezbollah in southern LebanonLebanon's Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike on an apartment in central Beirut has killed nine people.
An Australian inquiry blames Israeli military failings for a fatal drone attack on a Gaza aid convoy
Read full article: An Australian inquiry blames Israeli military failings for a fatal drone attack on a Gaza aid convoyAn Australian investigation has found the Israeli military’s attack on an aid convoy in Gaza that killed seven people resulted from serious failures of defense procedures, mistaken identification, and bad decisions.
Blinken says US has 'serious concerns' about announced result of Venezuelan election
Read full article: Blinken says US has 'serious concerns' about announced result of Venezuelan electionU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States has ‘serious concerns’ about the announced result of Venezuela's hotly contested presidential election that authorities say was won by incumbent Nicolas Maduro.
Blinken and envoys from Japan, Australia and India work to improve maritime safety in Asia-Pacific
Read full article: Blinken and envoys from Japan, Australia and India work to improve maritime safety in Asia-PacificTop diplomats from Japan, the U.S., Australia and India have compiled measures to reinforce maritime safety and cybersecurity and to support other Asia-Pacific countries in improving their defenses.
Relatives of those killed when MH17 was shot down mark 10 years since tragedy that claimed 298 lives
Read full article: Relatives of those killed when MH17 was shot down mark 10 years since tragedy that claimed 298 livesRelatives of passengers and crew killed when Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine have gathered to mark the 10th anniversary of the tragedy that claimed 298 lives, over half of whom were Dutch.
Australia boosting aid to Papua New Guinea for landslide recovery and security
Read full article: Australia boosting aid to Papua New Guinea for landslide recovery and securityAustralia will provide a further $1.3 million to support reconstruction efforts in Papua New Guinea after last month's deadly landslide.
Chinese premier promises more pandas and urges Australia to put aside differences
Read full article: Chinese premier promises more pandas and urges Australia to put aside differencesChinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Australia has focused on positive aspects of the bilateral relationship including shared giant pandas and a rebounding wine trade after he urged both countries to shelve their differences.
Australia and New Zealand begin evacuating nationals from unrest in New Caledonia
Read full article: Australia and New Zealand begin evacuating nationals from unrest in New CaledoniaAustralia and New Zealand have sent airplanes to New Caledonia to begin bringing home stranded citizens from the violence-wracked French South Pacific territory.
The Latest | Blinken says Israel hasn't told US of any specific date for Rafah ground invasion
Read full article: The Latest | Blinken says Israel hasn't told US of any specific date for Rafah ground invasionU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Israel has not informed the U.S. of any specific date for the start of a major offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
$3 billion deal with the UK gets Australia closer to having a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines
Read full article: $3 billion deal with the UK gets Australia closer to having a fleet of nuclear-powered submarinesAustralia is set to provide $3 billion to British industry to support the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and ensure its new fleet arrives on time.
China-born Australian democracy blogger won't appeal suspended Chinese death sentence
Read full article: China-born Australian democracy blogger won't appeal suspended Chinese death sentenceA China-born Australian democracy blogger will not appeal his suspended death sentence imposed by a Beijing court, with his family saying a legal challenge would be detrimental to his welfare.
Russian is sanctioned over the hacking release of Australian health insurer client data
Read full article: Russian is sanctioned over the hacking release of Australian health insurer client dataA Russian national has been sanctioned by the U.S., U.K. and Australian governments for his role in a cyber attack that compromised the personal details of more than 10 million Australians.
Australia to send military personnel to help protect Red Sea shipping but no warship
Read full article: Australia to send military personnel to help protect Red Sea shipping but no warshipAustralian Defense Minister Richard Marles says his government will send 11 military personnel to support a U.S.-led mission to protect cargo shipping in the Red Sea but won't send a warship or plane.
Chinese-born journalist thanks Australia for her freedom after 3 years in detention for spying
Read full article: Chinese-born journalist thanks Australia for her freedom after 3 years in detention for spyingA Chinese-born journalist has thanked the Australian government for her return to Australia “in one piece” after her three-year detention in China in an espionage case that strained bilateral ties.
Blinken tells Australia that WikiLeaks founder is accused of 'very serious' crime
Read full article: Blinken tells Australia that WikiLeaks founder is accused of 'very serious' crimeU.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pushed back against Australian demands for an end to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s prosecution, saying the Australian citizen was accused of “very serious criminal conduct” in publishing a trove of classified documents more than a decade ago.
US pledges to help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025
Read full article: US pledges to help Australia manufacture guided missiles by 2025The United States says it will expand its military industrial base by helping Australia manufacture guided missiles and rockets for both countries within two years.
Blinken says US economic support for Niger is at risk as military takeover threatens stability
Read full article: Blinken says US economic support for Niger is at risk as military takeover threatens stabilityU.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says political instability in Niger resulting from a military takeover that deposed the country's president this week threatens Washington's economic support to the African nation.
88-year-old Australian doctor freed 7 years after kidnapping by Islamic extremists in West Africa
Read full article: 88-year-old Australian doctor freed 7 years after kidnapping by Islamic extremists in West AfricaAn 88-year-old Australian doctor held captive by Islamic extremists in West Africa for more than seven years has been freed.
Press group: China biggest global jailer of journalists
Read full article: Press group: China biggest global jailer of journalistsA press freedom group says China was the biggest global jailer of journalists last year with more than 100 behind bars as President Xi Jinping’s government tightened control over society.
EXPLAINER: What end of vaccine mandate means for US troops
Read full article: EXPLAINER: What end of vaccine mandate means for US troopsCongress’ move to eliminate the Pentagon mandate that all U.S. service members get the COVID-19 vaccine delivers a victory for lawmakers and troops who oppose getting the shot.
Correction: Australia-Israel story
Read full article: Correction: Australia-Israel storyIn a story published October 18, 2022, about Australia dropping its former recognition of west Jerusalem as Israel's capital, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government would again recognize Tel Aviv as the capital.
Australia demands Optus pay for new customer ID documents
Read full article: Australia demands Optus pay for new customer ID documentsAustralia’s federal and state governments have called for Optus to pay for replacing passports and driver’s licenses after 9.8 million of the telecommunications company’s customers had personal data stolen by computer hackers.
Australia says its navy can resume visits to Solomon Islands
Read full article: Australia says its navy can resume visits to Solomon IslandsAustralia says its navy ships have been given clearance to resume visits to the Solomon Islands, which had last week announced a temporary block on all military vessels during a review of its approval processes.
'China threat' emerges in elections from UK to Australia
Read full article: 'China threat' emerges in elections from UK to AustraliaWhile inflation and recession fears weigh heavily on the minds of voters, another issue is popping up in political campaigns from the U_K_ and Australia to the U_S_ and beyond: the “China threat.”.
China extends threatening military exercises around Taiwan
Read full article: China extends threatening military exercises around TaiwanChina says it is extending threatening military exercises surrounding Taiwan that have disrupted shipping and air traffic and substantially raised concerns about the potential for conflict.
Australia, New Zealand say Pacific must discuss China
Read full article: Australia, New Zealand say Pacific must discuss ChinaAustralia and New Zealand’s prime ministers have agreed that security concerns regarding China’s expanding influence must be discussed at a meeting of western Pacific leaders.
Australian leader refuses to publicly intervene on Assange
Read full article: Australian leader refuses to publicly intervene on AssangeAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected calls for him to publicly demand the United States drop its prosecution of WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange.
China and Australia's dueling Pacific tours make final stops
Read full article: China and Australia's dueling Pacific tours make final stopsThe foreign ministers of Australia and China were both making their final stops Friday on what has become an island-hopping diplomatic duel in the South Pacific.
Australia, China continue Pacific rivalry with island visits
Read full article: Australia, China continue Pacific rivalry with island visitsAustralia and China are continuing their tit-for-tat diplomatic rivalry in the Pacific as the foreign ministers from each country pay separate visits to island nations.
China's foreign minister arrives in Tonga on Pacific tour
Read full article: China's foreign minister arrives in Tonga on Pacific tourChina’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Tonga on Tuesday as he continued his regional island-hopping tour a day after failing to ink an ambitious deal with 10 South Pacific nations.
China's Pacific plan seen as regional strategic game-changer
Read full article: China's Pacific plan seen as regional strategic game-changerWhen China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands in April it raised concerns from the U.S. and its allies that Beijing may be seeking a military outpost in the South Pacific, an area of traditional American naval dominance.
China's foreign minister starts Pacific tour in the Solomons
Read full article: China's foreign minister starts Pacific tour in the SolomonsChina’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-strong delegation have arrived in the Solomon Islands at the start of an eight-nation tour that comes amid growing concerns about Beijing’s military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific region.
Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriers
Read full article: Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriersAustralia’s new government has urged China to lift trade sanctions if it wants to reset a bilateral relationship that plumbed new depths under the previous administration.
Albanese elected Australia's leader in complex poll result
Read full article: Albanese elected Australia's leader in complex poll resultAustralians awoke to a new prime minister in Anthony Albanese, the center-left Labor Party leader whose ascension to the nation’s top job from being raised in social housing by a single mother on a disability pension was said to reflect the country's changed fabric.
Australia's next prime minister came from humble beginnings
Read full article: Australia's next prime minister came from humble beginningsAustralia’s Prime Minister-elect Anthony Albanese is a politician molded by his humble start to life as the only child of a single mother who raised him on a pension in gritty inner-Sydney suburbia.
Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armies
Read full article: Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armiesAustralia’s opposition party has promised to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to China’s potential military presence on the Solomon Islands.
Western pressure mounts on Solomons to quash pact with China
Read full article: Western pressure mounts on Solomons to quash pact with ChinaAustralia and the United States are stepping up diplomatic outreach to the Solomon Islands after China signed a security deal with the South Pacific island nation that could lead to Beijing establishing a military presence there.
Australian prime minister stands by minister accused of rape
Read full article: Australian prime minister stands by minister accused of rapeAustralia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks to the media in Sydney, Monday, March 1, 2021. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday stood by an unidentified Cabinet minister against calls for him to step down over an allegation he raped a 16-year-old girl more than 30 years ago. The allegation was contained in an anonymous letter sent to the prime minister’s office and to three female lawmakers last week. The letter contained a statement from a complainant that detailed her allegation of a rape she said occurred in New South Wales state in 1988. Hammond and opposition Labor Party Sen. Penny Wong also received anonymous letters about the 1988 rape allegation.