Economy

1 November 2024
As Donald Trump and Kamala Harris vie to become the next U.S. president, commodity powerhouse Australia is bracing for the potential impact on global trade. (Nikkei montage/Reuters)
A boy kicks a soccer ball in Sydney: Australia last year registered its lowest number of births since 2006, erasing a brief spike recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Society

Australia at 'crossroads' as fertility rate hits record low, experts say

Housing, rising costs, climate change among reasons cited for baby drought

18 October 2024
More people around the world are looking to courts to order governments and companies to take action against global warming, arguing they have a fundamental right to be protected from climate change. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images)
Policy Asia

Japan group sues utilities, claiming climate inaction violates human rights

Country's first youth-led climate litigation comes as regional, global cases multiply

18 October 2024
Australian rock lobsters on sale at a stall inside the Sydney Fish Market on June 14. (Photo by Sophie Mak)
Trade

China's import ban on rock lobsters to end, says Australian PM

Restriction is latest to fall as bilateral friction eases under Albanese government

10 October 2024
The decision to reduce the cash rate to 4.75% was in line with market pricing and most economists' expectations.
Economy

New Zealand cuts rates by 50 basis points; kiwi dollar tumbles

Markets bet on more aggressive easing in the near future

9 October 2024
 The edge of Glencore's Mount Owen coal mine and adjacent rehabilitated land are shown in Ravensworth, Australia on June 21, 2022. Australia's coal industry is facing increasing financial and regulatory pressures.
Commodities

Australian coal miners expand despite mounting industry pressure

Opportunity arises as shift to cleaner energy runs up against power demand gap

9 October 2024
The flags of Australia, left, and the United Arab Emirates. Australia is hoping that a trade deal the countries have completed will lead to investment for its minerals sector. (Source photos by Reuters and AP)
Trade

Australia secures trade deal with UAE, eyes cash for critical minerals

Agreement will boost exports by AU$678m a year, minister says

17 September 2024
The eruption of an underwater volcano off Tonga on Jan. 15, 2022 triggered tsunamis and damage from which the Pacific island nation is still recovering.
Natural disasters

Tonga struggles to break cycle of disaster and debt

Pacific island countries call for international community to step up aid

17 September 2024
Contractors hired for mining work in Australia now must receive the same pay as in-house employees.
Commodities

Australia's mining industry faults new labor rights for rising costs

Minerals Council cites multi-employer bargaining and 'same job, same pay' law

12 September 2024
Pope Francis receives a gift from an Indigenous woman on the day of a meeting with the authorities, civil society and the diplomatic corps at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Sept. 7.
Economy

Pope Francis visits PNG, urges fair treatment for workers

Pontiff also calls for end to ethnic violence in resource-rich Pacific country

7 September 2024
People stroll near a Sydney beach on April 1. Cost-of-living pressures have taken a toll on many Australians. (Photo by AAP)
Economy

Australian GDP grows just 0.2% as interest rates hit consumption

Policymakers caught between sluggish expansion and stubborn inflation

4 September 2024
With rents up nearly 40% in the last five years and vacancies at under 2%, Australia residents are finding it increasingly hard to secure housing. (Nikkei montage/Source photo by Getty Images) 
Market Spotlight

Australia housing prices, rents surge as supply shortage deepens

Affordability emerges as political issue for Albanese government

26 August 2024
Wagons filled with iron ore enter Rio Tinto's railyard near Karratha, 1,250 kilometers northeast of Perth, Australia, on Oct. 20, 2023. Australia shipped $138 billion of iron ore in the year through June.
Commodities

Australia warns of $2bn budget hole as iron ore slumps on China woes

Concerns elevated after bleak outlook from largest steelmaker

19 August 2024
Papua New Guinea's national census was initially due to take just two weeks starting in June, but the government has announced it will now not be completed until some time in 2025.
Opinion

Papua New Guinea's census process is a quagmire of epic proportions

International donors must pressure government to be transparent

14 August 2024
The Reserve Bank of New Zealand in Wellington. The central bank signaled more cuts ahead depending on how inflation evolves.
Economy

N.Z. cuts rates for first time in over 4 years, flags more easing

Kiwi dollar tumbles as markets bet on more aggressive easing path

14 August 2024
An Air New Zealand Airbus A320 at Auckland Airport.
Economy

New Zealanders emigrating in record numbers as economy stagnates

80,000 left in a year amid rising unemployment, high interest rates, slow growth

13 August 2024
Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock speaks during a news conference in Sydney on August 6. (Photo by AAP Image)
Economy

Australian central bank 'near-term' interest rate cuts not on agenda

Governor says market volatility needs to be monitored after decision to stand pat

6 August 2024
A thermometer shows a temperature of 44C in Athens, Greece, on July 18.
Opinion

World should take note of a new trade and climate change deal

ACCTS agreement between 4 small nations is a practical model for all economies

31 July 2024
Members of the World Trade Organization released an agreement on e-commerce rules following negotiations that began in 2017.
Trade

WTO members reach digital trade deal to ban tariffs on data

Proposed e-commerce rules also cover cybersecurity and regulatory transparency

27 July 2024
Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting participants pose during their summit in Tokyo on July 18. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Indo-Pacific

Japan, Pacific islands to boost security ties as China's influence grows

Summit cites 'increasing complexity' of geopolitics, though views of Beijing differ

18 July 2024
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. speaks to Nikkei Asia in Tokyo on July 16. (Photo by Takuya Fujiwara)
Interview

Palau says China exerting 'new level' of pressure

President cites rejection of delegation to Macao and suspect cyber assault

16 July 2024
Toyota's electric vehicle bZ4X was on display last August at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show. Japanese carmakers have long dominated the Indonesian market.
Your Week in Asia

China 'third plenum' meeting, ADB economic outlook, Indonesia Auto Show

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

14 July 2024
Australia's earnings from metallurgical coal, used as a fuel for steelmaking, are forecast to fall in the next 12 months due to weaker prices.
Commodities

China tensions with West a risk for resource exports, Australia warns

Further dips in value expected as U.S., Europe look to reshore manufacturing

2 July 2024
An excavator digs up vines near the town of Griffith in southeast Australia.
Food & Beverage

In vino veritas: Australia wrestles with wine glut

Falling consumption among young, thirst for quality fuels change at wineries

29 June 2024
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, left, and Chinese Premier Li Qiang shake hands in Canberra on June 17. Both men welcomed improved relations between their countries.
International relations

Chinese Premier Li Qiang says ties with Australia are back on track

Meeting with Prime Minister Albanese in Canberra comes as economic ties warm

17 June 2024