‘Encouraging signs’ for Australia, China trade row

No changes to Chinese sanctions on Australian goods have been announced but ministers remain hopeful breakthrough meetings will lead to their removal. Agriculture Minister Murray Watt welcomed a meeting between Trade Minister Don Farrell and his Chinese counterpart...[Read More]

‘Sweet’ victory for Aussie honey producers

Australian honey producers say the withdrawal of court proceedings by a New Zealand group trying to trademark the “manuka” name is a major win. New Zealand’s Manuka Honey Appellation Society (MHAS) had been fighting in the UK High Court to stop Australian...[Read More]

Ag export success linked to sustainability

Australia’s agriculture minister will promote the country’s sustainability credentials which he says need an image overhaul as he tries to secure the best deal for Aussie farmers during a trade mission to the UK and Europe. In a joint industry-government push to...[Read More]

Carbon border tariff on the table

The government is considering a carbon emissions tariff on imports to support Australian firms covered by the revamped Safeguard Mechanism. The Safeguard Mechanism requires Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitters to keep their net emissions below a baseline...[Read More]

Crucial minerals underpin volatile exports

The year ahead brings more milestones and complexity for critical minerals in an industrial era of de-carbonisation and electrification. Glencore and BHP are fast-tracking coal mine closures and Senex has paused its gas expansion, but future wealth is tipped in energy...[Read More]

Impact of late Queen ‘exceeds expectation’

Governor-General David Hurley says he became overwhelmed with emotion during the Queen’s funeral, realising it marked the end of a great era. Mr Hurley said while the Queen’s death was inevitable, it struck with an impact “that has exceeded any...[Read More]

Republic dims as Queen’s light shines

Almost four million Australians tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth’s funeral service, but fewer than half the population believe the country should become a republic. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is on his way back to Australia, having joined more than 2000 people...[Read More]

Charles III: his powers and duties as king

The King is a constitutional monarch who must remain politically neutral. The head of state has “an important formal and ceremonial relationship” with parliament, the monarchy’s official website says. Charles’ role will consist, as did the late Queen’s, of...[Read More]

Australia remains top partner for Solomons

Australia will provide the Solomon Islands with more than $17 million for the Pacific Games, as a slate of ministers and top US diplomats tour the region to combat Chinese influence. Pacific Minister Pat Conroy has met with Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh...[Read More]

A timeline of international events that shaped the world in 2019

Lloyd Jones, AAP World Bureau Chief (Australian Associated Press)   A TIMELINE OF INTERNATIONAL EVENTS THAT CAUGHT OUR ATTENTION IN 2019: JANUARY 3 – A Chinese spacecraft with a lunar rover aboard makes the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon. 23...[Read More]

Prince Charles’ 16th trip to Australia

Hannah Higgins(Australian Associated Press)   A TIMELINE OF PRINCE CHARLES’ VISITS TO AUSTRALIA   * 1966 Visited Australia for the first time as a schoolboy, spending two terms at Timbertop, the rural campus of Victoria’s Geelong Grammar School. *...[Read More]

Judge Trump’s substance, not style: Howard

Tom Rabe(Australian Associated Press)   The world should judge Donald Trump on substance and not style, says former Australian prime minister John Howard. Speaking at a US-Australia relations conference in Sydney on Monday evening, Mr Howard said the American...[Read More]

Obama joins Clinton on campaign trail

By Jeff Mason (Australian Associated Press) After months on the sidelines, President Barack Obama has joined Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail at a rally. “I’m here today because I believe in Hillary Clinton, and I want...[Read More]