Today
- Opinion
- China relations
High-level dialogue shows China chill is ending
The resumed annual face-to-face meeting of government and industry has been crucial to stabilising the relationship.
- 1 hr ago
- Craig Emerson
- Exclusive
- International affairs
When Keating went to war with the White House
Secret cables reveal for the first time how Keating’s right-hand man and a senior White House official engaged in an extraordinary war of words in 1992, sometimes in personal terms.
- James Curran
- Analysis
- International affairs
Washington can be a prickly and insecure great power ally
The Russell-Zoellick correspondence reveals an Australian government not afraid to talk truth to American power, an art largely lost over recent years.
- James Curran
Yesterday
- Opinion
- AUKUS
Albanese is losing the AUKUS debate
The government is prioritising platitudes over substance as critics question the $368 billion nuclear submarine project.
- James Curran
This Month
- Opinion
- Defence
Next AUSMIN needs to turn alignment into outcomes
This year’s ministerial consultations moved away from defence announcements. But progress on many key initiatives is yet to deliver tangible results.
- Jennifer Parker
- Opinion
- Kamala Harris
The big risk in Kamala Harris’ surprise choice for VP
Tim Walz’s down-to-earth language was transformed into the equivalent of a political magic wand, but there’s a risk in overlooking Josh Shapiro in the must-win swing state of Pennsylvania.
- Jennifer Hewett
‘You don’t embarrass the New Yorker in Trump’ says military adviser
Chris Miller, a former acting secretary of defence and Project 2025 contributor, says the AUKUS military alliance will be fine if Donald Trump wins the election, but Vladimir Putin could be in a jam.
- Kevin Chinnery
- Exclusive
- Defence
Prominent think tank fears the loss of its ‘superpower’
The rarefied world of public intellectuals and scholars is braced for a bombshell following a government review into think tank funding.
- Emma Connors
July
- Exclusive
- Defence spending
The ‘criminal price tag’ for the navy’s new warships is $4b a pop
A new fleet of frigates will cost almost $4 billion each, even before weapons are fitted, it can be revealed, making them the navy’s most expensive warship.
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- AUKUS
AUKUS critics fail to match their speculation with substance
There is a long list of loud objections to the project. But how many of them really stand up to scrutiny?
- Ross Babbage
- Exclusive
- AUKUS
Submariner in charge of AUKUS says the debate is being hijacked
Navy chief Vice Admiral Mark Hammond has offered a fierd defence of the big-money nuclear-powered submarine pact in an interview with AFR Weekend.
- Andrew Tillett
- Opinion
- US election
Hoarse but coherent Biden bows out, sets up Democrats’ last hope
Joe Biden says his decision to step aside as the Democrats’ presidential candidate was because the greatest need is to defend American democracy.
- Jennifer Hewett
India’s have-nots are expressing their displeasure
While Mumbai’s super-rich show off their wealth, a chastened Narendra Modi moves to shore up support among the poor.
- Hamish McDonald
DroneShield rubbishes critics, courts politicians
No sooner had we written off Rodney Forrest than he totally crashed the share price of ASX-listed DroneShield.
- Myriam Robin
- Opinion
- US election
One issue where Kamala Harris gives the Democrats an edge
The party hopes to use the burning issue of abortion rights – and the elevation of Kamala Harris – to change what has been a losing election hand.
- Jennifer Hewett
Ukraine goes all-in on ground robots
The battlefield has become a laboratory of innovation and Ukraine is further along than most nations when it comes to developing robots.
- Jack Detsch
- Opinion
- US election
Trump will relish a fight against ‘DEI candidate’ Harris
The former president would clearly have preferred to cruise to victory against Joe Biden, but Republicans have always had plenty of attack lines to launch against the vice president.
- Jennifer Hewett
Harris secures Democratic majority needed to be nominee
Survey finds Kamala Harris has enough Democratic delegate support to become new nominee; Joe Biden will return to Washington; Campaign raises record-breaking $122 million. How the day unfolded.
- Updated
- Timothy Moore and Lucy Slade
- Opinion
- Middle East tensions
Australia goes missing as Red Sea crisis deepens
The Houthis have been remarkably persistent in disrupting global trade. But there is a deeper strategic cost to Australia as well.
- Jennifer Parker
- Analysis
- US election
The tragedy of Joe Biden: a cruel exit after 50 years in politics
History will ultimately decide whether the Biden presidency was one of relative political normalcy, or an aberration sandwiched between the Trump presidencies.
- James Curran