New Zealand's inquiry into systemic abuse follows 2 decades of similar probes worldwide
New Zealand is the latest country to confront cruel, systemic and commonplace abuse of children and vulnerable adults in state and faith-based care institutions.
South Pacific leaders will meet on the stunning island of Aitutaki to discuss climate change
South Pacific leaders are heading to the stunning island of Aitutaki to discuss climate change and other regional concerns.
Ex-UK leader Truss to urge tougher China stance in Tokyo
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss will join the former leaders of Australia and Belgium at a conference in Tokyo later this month to call for a tougher international approach to China.
Prosecutor drops Australian Parliament House rape charge
An Australian prosecutor says he dropped a rape charge against a former government adviser because of the life-threatening trauma a trial would cause the woman allegedly assaulted in a Parliament House office.
Australian Parliament censures former prime minister
Australiaโs former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has listed his achievements in government including standing up to a โbullying" China as he unsuccessfully argued against being censured by the Parliament for secretly amassing multiple ministerial powers.
Australia to make posts public to avoid repeat of power grab
An inquiry into a former Australian prime minister secretly appointing himself to multiple ministries has recommended that all such appointments be made public in the future to preserve trust in government.
Australia sticks to US nuclear subs despite French criticism
Australiaโs prime minister says he remains committed to building a fleet of submarines powered by U_S_ nuclear technology despite the French president describing the plan as a โconfrontation with China.โ.
Japan, Australia upgrade security pact against China threat
Japan and Australia have signed a new bilateral security agreement to reflect the deteriorating security outlook for their region driven by Chinaโs increasing assertiveness.
Correction: Australia-Israel story
In 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 to prevent prime ministers gaining secret powers
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will launch an inquiry aimed at preventing a prime minister from ever again secretly amassing new ministerial powers.
Former Australia PM says secret powers were needed in crisis
Scott Morrison says giving himself extra powers when he was Australiaโs prime minister was necessary during the coronavirus crisis as criticism rose the moves were deceptive and undemocratic.
Former Australian PM Morrison took on extra powers in secret
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has accused his predecessor Scott Morrison of โtrashing democracyโ after revealing that while Morrison was in power, he arranged to have himself quietly appointed to five ministerial roles without the knowledge of many other lawmakers or the public.
Australia's new prime minister considers visit to Ukraine
Australiaโs new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he will take advice on whether to accept President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's invitation to visit Ukraine during an upcoming European trip.
China's Pacific plan seen as regional strategic game-changer
When 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.
Australia's government urges China to remove trade barriers
Australiaโs 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.
Biden: Leaders navigating 'dark hour' after Ukraine invasion
President Joe Biden has warned fellow leaders of the informal Indo-Pacific security coalition known as the Quad that they are โnavigating through a dark hour in our shared history.โ.
Biden launches Indo-Pacific trade deal, warns over inflation
President Joe Biden has launched a new trade deal with 12 Indo-Pacific nations aimed at strengthening their economies as he warns Americans worried about high inflation that it is โgoing to be a haulโ before they feel relief.
Albanese elected Australia's leader in complex poll result
Australians awoke to a new prime minister in Anthony Albanese, the center-left Labor Party leader whose ascension to the nationโs 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
Australiaโs 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.
Australia PM Morrison defends record despite election loss
Scott Morrison says his conservative government had left Australia in a robust condition even as voters punished him for his handling of issues including climate change and the pandemic that gave the center-left opposition its biggest victory for almost a decade.
Economy, China, climate dominate as Australia set for polls
Australians will go to the polls Saturday following a six-week election campaign that has focused on pandemic-fueled inflation, climate change and fears of a Chinese military outpost being established less than 1,200 miles off Australiaโs shore.
Kim Jong Un lookalike disrupts Australian election campaign
A man impersonating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday disrupted the Australian election campaign when he burst into an event that Prime Minister Scott Morrison was attending with lawmaker Gladys Liu.
Chinese ambassador says Solomons pact no threat to Australia
A Chinese ambassador says Chinaโs engagement with South Pacific island countries poses no threat to Australia, responding to fears that Beijing will establish a military foothold in the Solomon Islands.
Morrison defends management of Australia's ties to Solomons
Australiaโs Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he is following security officialsโ advice in managing bilateral relations with the Solomon Islands after the South Pacific neighborโs leader alleged heโd been threatened โwith invasion.โ.
Australian opposition party vows to train Pacific armies
Australiaโs opposition party has promised to establish a Pacific defense school to train neighboring armies in response to Chinaโs potential military presence on the Solomon Islands.
Western pressure mounts on Solomons to quash pact with China
Australia 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.
Australia and India thank Quad for new free trade deal
India and Australiaโs trade ministers say a shared security partnership with the United States and Japan has helped them strike a trade deal that Australia hopes will reduce its dependence on exports to China.
Australia, UK, US alliance to develop hypersonic missiles
The United States, United Kingdom and Australia have announced that they will work together via the recently created security alliance known as AUKUS to develop hypersonic missiles.
Australia aims to ease inflation pressures ahead of election
Australiaโs government has presented a range of economic measures such as halving the tax on gasoline in a bid to help cushion the impact of rising prices and win votes at elections due by May.
Biden, other Quad leaders to meet virtually amid Ukraine war
President Joe Biden and the prime ministers of India, Australia and Japan will talk Thursday in a virtual meeting of the Indo-Pacific alliance known as the Quad that comes a week into the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Live updates: Kyiv TV tower hit, Ukraineโs parliament says
A firm that tracks cryptocurrency transactions says $33.8 million in the digital currency has been donated to Ukraineโs government and non-governmental organizations there since the start of Russiaโs invasion.
Live updates: Official: Artillery kills 70 Ukraine soldiers
A regional Ukraine official says more than 70 Ukrainian soldiers were killed after Russian artillery hit a military base in Okhtyrka, a city between Kharkiv and Kyiv.
US, Europe step up Russia sanctions to target Putin directly
The United States and European allies are stepping up sanctions over Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine by adding measures directly targeting President Vladimir Putin and his top diplomat.
World leaders slap sanctions on the Kremlin over invasion
World leaders have condemned Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine as โbarbaricโ and quickly slapped heavy sanctions on the Russian economy, President Vladimir Putinโs inner circle and many of the countryโs oligarchs.
The Latest: UN chief warns Russian actions could devastate
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says Russiaโs attack on Ukraine โ as he appealed for President Vladimir Putin to stop his troops โ was โthe saddest momentโ of his five-year tenure.
'Thugs and bullies': Nations sanction Russia over Ukraine
World leaders are backing up their condemnation of Russiaโs aggression against Ukraine with action, announcing financial sanctions, banning trade with Ukrainian separatist regions and halting Russian bond distribution.
The Latest: EU ministers to decide on Russian sanctions
The European Union's top diplomat says foreign ministers will meet Tuesday to decide what sanctions to impose over Russiaโs decision to recognize two separatist regions in southeast Ukraine.
Blinken says Russia could invade Ukraine during Olympics
Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia could invade Ukraine during the current Beijing Olympics so Americans should leave the Eastern European country immediately.
Australian political leaders apologize to staff for abuses
Australian political leaders have apologized to staffers who have endured decades of bullying, harassment and sexual assault inside Parliamentary House and other government offices.
Australia has $1 billion plan to convert ideas into jobs
Australiaโs government says it will spend more than $1 billion on converting research ideas into commercial hits as it looks to improve the economy with an election looming.
Australia pledges $704 million to save Great Barrier Reef
The Australian government has pledged to spend another 1 billion Australian dollars ($704 million) over nine years on improving the health of the Great Barrier Reef after stalling a UNESCO decision on downgrading the natural wonderโs World Heritage status.
Australian prime minister loses control of WeChat account
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has lost control of his Chinese-owned social media platform WeChat account and a lawmaker has accused Chinaโs leaders of political interference.
Three of Tonga's smaller islands badly damaged by tsunami
Three of Tongaโs smaller islands have suffered serious damage from tsunami waves, officials and the Red Cross say, as a wider picture begins to emerge of the destruction caused by the eruption of an undersea volcano near the Pacific archipelago nation.
TIMELINE: Djokovic's failed bid to play in Australian Open
Novak Djokovicโs attempt to play in the Australian Open despite being unvaccinated for COVID-19 has come to an end after a court upheld a government ministerโs rejection of his visa.
TIMELINE: Novak Djokovic's bid to compete at Australian Open
Novak Djokovicโs attempt to stave off deportation and be allowed to play in the Australian Open despite not being vaccinated against COVID-19 is headed for a legal hearing the day before he is scheduled to begin his title defense at a Grand Slam tournament heโs won a record nine times.
Djokovic in Australian Open draw as visa saga continues
Novak Djokovic has remained in limbo even after he was included in the draw for the Australian Open, with the tennis star still awaiting a government decision on whether to deport him for not being vaccinated for COVID-19.
Amid Djokovic backlash, Australia grapples with omicron wave
The omicron variant of the coronavirus has swept across Australia despite its high vaccination rate and strict border policies that kept the country largely sealed off from the world for almost two years.
Djokovic back into swing in Australia, visa questions linger
Novak Djokovic has held a practice session, a day after he left immigration detention, focusing on defending his Australian Open title even while he still faces the prospect of deportation because heโs not vaccinated against COVID-19.
Will he stay or will he go? Djokovic's hearing underway
Novak Djokovic is getting his day in court in a deportation case that has polarized opinions and elicited heartfelt support for the world No. 1 tennis player in his native Serbia.
Australia, Japan sign defense pact as China concerns loom
The leaders of Japan and Australia have signed a โlandmarkโ defense agreement that allows closer cooperation between their militaries and stands as a rebuke to China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
EXPLAINER: Why was Novak Djokovic not let into Australia?
Novak Djokovic came within one victory of sweeping all four of last yearโs Grand Slam tennis tournaments and entered 2022 needing one title to set the menโs record of 21 major championships.
Reaction to Novak Djokovic's canceled visa in Australia
The Australian government has denied No. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic entry to defend his title in the year's first tennis major and canceled his visa because he failed to meet the requirements for an exemption to the country's COVID-19 vaccination rules.
Australia, Japan to sign 'historic' defense, security pact
Australia and Japan will sign a treaty on Thursday to increase defense and security cooperation in a move that has been hailed as โhistoricโ but which might anger China.
Australia PM meets with national cabinet amid virus surge
Australia is experiencing rising COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations and long queues at testing centers as it continues to battle the rapid spread of the virus in most states.
Coronavirus cases surge across Australia as omicron explodes
Coronavirus cases are surging across Australia as an outbreak of the omicron variant spreads, prompting Prime Minister Scott Morrison to schedule an emergency national cabinet meeting.
Live updates: Australia state has 2nd day of high caseload
Australiaโs New South Wales state is reporting more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours for the second straight day as the state and federal governments roll out measures meant to curb the spread of the virus.
Australia and South Korea sign defense deal as leaders meet
Australia and South Korea have signed a $720 million defense deal as South Korean President Moon Jae-in became the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
Australian military switches from European to US helicopters
Australiaโs military says it plans to ditch its fleet of European-designed Taipan helicopters and instead buy U.S. Black Hawks and Seahawks because the American machines are more reliable.
Australia joins US in diplomatic boycott of Beijing Games
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Wednesday that Australia will join the U.S. in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Games over human rights concerns.
Solomon Islands violence recedes but not underlying tension
Violence has receded in the capital of the Solomon Islands, but the government has shown no signs of attempting to address the underlying grievances that sparked two days of riots, including concerns of the countryโs increasing links with China.
Australia sending troops, police to Solomons amid unrest
Australia says it is sending police, troops and diplomats to the Solomon Islands to help after anti-government demonstrators defied lockdown orders and took to the streets for a second day in violent protests.
Solomon Islands leader blames foreign powers for unrest
The Solomon Islands prime minister has blamed foreign interference for anti-government protests, arson and looting that have ravaged the capital in recent days following his governmentโs decision to switch alliances from Taiwan to Beijing.
Australia to welcome vaccinated foreign students, workers
The Australian government expects 200,000 vaccinated foreign students and skilled workers will soon return without quarantining when the country further relaxes pandemic restrictions next week.
Australia aims to protect, promote critical technologies
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a plan to protect and promote technologies critical to the country's national interest, in a challenge to Chinaโs emerging dominance in key strategic fields.
Former leader says sub deal protects US, not Australia
Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating says a deal to acquire submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology is aimed at protecting the United States from Chinese nuclear attack and has changed Australia-Sino relations.
Australia putting $738M into low emissions investment fund
Australiaโs Prime Minister Scott Morrison has launched a $738 million investment fund to fast-track emerging low emissions technologies including carbon capture and storage.