Page 61 - Australia

France and Australia agree submarines won't stop trade deal

French and Australian officials said Monday that France's anger over a cancelled submarine contract will not derail negotiations on an Australia-European Union free trade deal. France withdrew its ambassadors to the United States and Australia after President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. The deal sunk a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract for French majority state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines for Australia. The money would have been spent over 35 years. French Ambassador to Australia Jean-Pierre Thebault denied media reports that France was lobbying the European Union not to sign the trade deal with Australia that has been under negotiation since 2018. At this stage, negotiations do continue and there is a strong interest ... for Australia to have a free trade agreement with the EU, Thebault told

Security deal: Britain says it will be hard-headed in defending interests

The pact has angered France as it saw Canberra ditch a multi-billion-dollar order for French submarines in favour of an alternative deal with Britain and the United States

Australia says France knew of concerns it had over submarines

Australia understands France's disappointment but the decision was made on "sovereign, national defense interests," Morrison told reporters on Sunday

Australia says it was 'upfront' with France over submarine deal

Australia ditched the 2016 deal with France's Naval Group to build a fleet of conventional submarines

Australia: France's recall of ambassador over submarine contract regretful

Australia said Saturday it was noting with regret France's recall of its ambassador over the surprise cancellation of a submarine contract in favour of a US deal.

A 3,700-mile sailing trip shows why strict quarantine is falling flat

Nearly two years into the crisis, tens of thousands of frustrated citizens of nations such as Australia and New Zealand remain stranded overseas, unable to secure flights back to their homelands

Dominance by default: How China was handed East Asia on a platter

Anyone within range of China's expanding navy will have to build capabilities faster and/or work more closely with the US, as Australia has just announced, writes T N Ninan

Australian PM Scott Morrison rejects Chinese criticism of nuclear sub deal

Morrison on Friday rejected Chinese criticism of Australia's new nuclear submarine alliance with the United States and said he doesn't mind that President Joe Biden might have forgotten his name.

AUKUS alliance with Australia, Britain not against any country: White House

The new trilateral security alliance AUKUS is not about any one country but aimed at advancing the strategic interests of the US, Britain and Australia

Fresh pushback on China: Australia to get n-subs in new pact with US and UK

China calls the deal an 'irresponsible' threat to regional stability

Australia irks France with sudden US-UK nuclear submarine deal

France said the new partnership scuppers Australia's 2016 deal with a French shipbuilder Naval Group to build up to 12 submarines

Australia to welcome hundreds of overseas workers, seeks to aid recovery

The exemption will streamline entry requirements to allow the rapid relocation of workers critical to establishing a business in Australia

Sydney Airport sale a step closer after improved $17.4 billion offer

The move sent the airport's shares up 5%, with analysts saying a rival bid appeared unlikely given the scale of the funding needed and foreign ownership rules

India, Australia pitch for 'broad-based and inclusive govt' in Afghanistan

India and Australia have called for a "broad-based and inclusive" government in Afghanistan to ensure long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country

Rajnath Singh holds 'fruitful' talks with Australian counterpart

Describing the discussions as 'fruitful', Mr. Singh said bilateral defence cooperation as well as regional issues figured in the deliberations.

Rajnath Singh holds bilateral meeting with Australian Defence Minister

Rajnath Singh will be holding a bilateral meeting with the Australian Minister for Defence Peter Dutton in New Delhi

Australia's treasurer says economy must diversify from China reliance

Australia must diversify its economy to rely less on China, its largest trading partner, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday, as he warned businesses to brace for new tensions with Beijing

Australia reports record new Covid-19 cases amid battle against 3rd wave

Australia has reported another record number of 1,477 new cases on Thursday morning as the country continued to battle the third wave of Covid-19 infections

India, Australia aim to announce early harvest trade deal by December

An early harvest agreement will be the way forward for an early conclusion of a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between both countries

First Paralympic gold medal goes to Paige Greco of Australia

Cyclist Paige Greco of Australia claimed the first gold medal of the Tokyo Paralympic Games, winning the 3,000-meter pursuit on Wednesday on the velodrome track