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Penny Wong delivers Indian Ocean strategy speech, urges China to be more transparent amid military build-up

In a high-profile speech laying out Australia's Indian Ocean strategy, the foreign minister warned against political interference and economic coercion, urging China to be more transparent about its military build-up.
A Chinese research vessel.

Tomorrow is the start of the Lunar New Year. How well do you know the zodiac animal, what to eat and what to say?

Here are 10 questions to help you understand the diversity, traditions, foods, and significance of the Year of the Dragon — and how to greet people celebrating the Lunar New Year.
Saturday marks the first day of the Year of the Dragon.

China opens Antarctic research station due south of Australia, begins operations for the first time

China opens its fifth Antarctic research station, starting operations in an outpost due south of Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
workers in orange protective gear construct a steel building frame overlooking the sea in Antarctica.

AGL leads ASX higher, Chinese markets gain despite horror deflation numbers

Australian shares end higher after AGL posts a better than expected half-year profit and upgrades its forecast for the full year. Mainland Chinese shares shrug off the worst deflation numbers since the global financial crisis. Look back on how the trading day unfolded.
Updated
A man looks at stock prices through the window of the ASX in Sydney.

analysis:Beijing edits Yang Hengjun's online record in a hint of what might lie ahead

Yesterday, China sentenced Yang Hengjun to death. But a minor tweak in a press conference transcript from years ago sheds light on a potential reprieve, writes Bang Xiao.
A screenshot with a red box highlighting some Chinese characters that were changed in a transcript of a press conference.

Dutton makes personal appeal to Xi to reconsider Yang Hengjun's sentence

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton urges Chinese President Xi Jinping to reconsider the suspended death sentence handed to Australian man Yang Hengjun as the government and opposition move in lock step.
Updated
A man in a black shirt sits beside water while a woman in a blue shirt puts her arms around his neck.

Despite Beijing's attempts to 'lure' more support in the Pacific, Taipei backs Tuvalu to stick with Taiwan

Taiwan's top diplomatic representative to Australia has declared that he's "quite confident" that Tuvalu won't follow Nauru's lead and switch diplomatic recognition to China, despite Beijing's attempts to "lure" politicians in the Pacific Island country.
An island with white sandy beaches, turquoise water, swaying palms and blue sky.

Suspected spy pigeon freed from detention after running afoul of police in India

It turns out the pigeon was an open-water racing bird from Taiwan which had escaped and made its way to India.
A close up of a pigeon flying up into the air in front of a man watching on.

ASX drops from record high as Commonwealth Bank leads financial slide

A slump in banking stocks leads the Australian share market off its record high, as the US Federal Reserve douses rate cut expectations. See how the day unfolded on our markets blog.
Updated
Two women look at a share price board outside the ASX in Sydney.

Australian share market hits all-time high after inflation falls to two-year low — as it happened

The Australian share market sets a new record high after inflation hit a two-year low in the December quarter, as economists forecast interest rate cuts from the Reserve Bank could come sooner than expected.
Updated
Shoppers on escalators in Myer in Perth's CBD.

Opposition needles government after revelations PNG and China discussing police cooperation

The Coalition is trying to ramp up pressure on the federal government over new police cooperation negotiations between China and Papua New Guinea, saying it's "essential" that Australia's strategic position in the Pacific nation isn't undermined.
papua new guinea and chinese flags flown in front of a ship

Liquidator appointed to Chinese developing giant Evergrande

Chinese developer and construction giant Evergrande has been ordered into liquidation by a Hong Kong court.
ABC News Current
Duration: 4 minutes 5 seconds

Papua New Guinea in talks with China on policing and security deal, foreign minister says

Amid jostling between Washington and Beijing for influence in the Pacific, PNG has previously said Australia and the United States are its main security partners, and Prime Minister James Marape signed a $200 million security deal with Australia in December.
Updated
A slightly blurry screencap of a video shows a crowd of people walking on a rubbish-strewn street at night.

Hong Kong court orders Evergrande's liquidation, posing threats to China's economy and global markets

A Hong Kong court has ordered one of China's biggest property developers, Evergrande Group, to liquidate, which could have severe consequences not just for China, but other economies including Australia. 
Updated
People walk by an orange logo for Evergrande.

You've probably heard of fentanyl. This is why some experts fear it could soon be more common in Australia

Unlike the United States, synthetic opioids like a fentanyl aren't a major feature in Australia's drug markets. However, experts warn this could quickly change.
A man holds a megaphone while at a rally, walking past giant posters that contain faces of people who've died from fentanyl

China's foreign minister says Taiwan independence biggest threat to Sino-US ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hold candid talks in Bangkok aimed at keeping in contact, with Mr Wang stressing that "Taiwan independence" poses the biggest risk to Sino-US ties.
A composite photo of Wang Yi and Jake Sullivan.

analysis:How risk and reward strategies will decide who claims the Australian Open women's title

It a battle between the champ and the challenger, the data shows two very different styles in the battle to claim the Australian Open title, writes Cody Atkinson.
Tennis women's final

As it happened: Australians are hoarding cash and so are criminals, says RBA

Between $7 billion and $11 billion of the nation’s cash is being used in the shadow economy to fund tax avoidance or other illegal purposes such as buying illicit drugs, according to the Reserve Bank. The news comes after the Australian stock market rose for a fifth consecutive day, hitting a three-week high before the Australia Day long weekend
Updated
Australian banknotes, mostly $50 bills, strewn over a flat surface.

PM's office knew about Chinese navy sonar incident days before meeting Xi Jinping

Emails seen by the ABC show the prime minister's department was notified about a sonar incident with China's navy days before Anthony Albanese met with President Xi Jinping.
Anthony Albanese shakes hands with Xi Jinping in front of the Australian and Chiense flags in Beijing.

As it happened: ASX closes higher, households are more indebted, so do we need tougher lending rules?

Australian households' debt-to-income ratio has reached 185 per cent of disposable income. Is it time to impose tougher lending restrictions? Read about this and how the Australian share market closed higher on Tuesday after an optimistic streak on Wall Street that pushed US stocks to a fresh record high.
Updated
Drone view of housing rooftops and roads

analysis:China's population is shrinking and fast. It will have flow-on effects for the rest of the world

China abandoned its one-child policy in 2016. In 2021 the country introduced a three-child policy, backed by tax and other incentives. But births are continuing to fall and the trend is accelerating, writes Xiujian Peng.
A group of people in face masks on a street corner in Beijing

Landslide in south-west China's Yunnan province kills eight, forces evacuation of hundreds more

Eight bodies were pulled from the rubble as rescuers continue to search for dozens more people buried underneath 18 separate houses.
Updated
A group of people wearing red jumpsuits with chinese characters climb over large bits of rubble.

Fire in primary school dorm in central China kills 13 children

Thirteen schoolchildren die in a dormitory fire in central China's Henan province, Chinese state media reports.
Charred windows after a school fire in China.

Japan becomes fifth country to land on the Moon, but probe can't generate solar power

Japan's space agency says it hopes a shift in the sunlight's angle will hit the solar panels of its 'Moon sniper' in a way that can restore its functions.
The SLIM spacecraft is mounted onto a large launcher that is illuminated while at a launch site in the dark night sky.

Wong says Australia won't give up on Dr Yang Hengjun's release, five years after his imprisonment in China

Foreign Minister Penny Wong vows to continue to advocate for Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who has now been detained in China for five years on suspicion of spying.
Writer, blogger Yang Hengjun