‘We thought we were mates’: French ambassador laments subterfuge en route to Sydney airport

Jean-Pierre Thebault was angry about Aukus as he left Australia on Saturday night, saying: ‘It’s like in a couple, you know, when you commit … you don’t run away’Australia ‘regrets’ France’s recall of ambassadorGet our free news app; get our morning em…

The nuclear option: why has Australia ditched the French submarine plan for the Aukus pact?

Just two weeks before the bombshell, senior ministers from both countries met and declared they were ‘committed to cooperation’. How did it all go so wrong?Get our free news app; get our morning email briefingJust two weeks before France complained of …

More than 2,000 healthcare workers in isolation placing hospital systems under pressure

Some healthcare staff in NSW, Victoria and ACT are working 16-hour shifts to cover for those unavailable due to infection or exposure to CovidFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesCovid vaccine rollout and rates tracker; Cases, trends a…

The Tampa affair, 20 years on: the ship that capsized Australia’s refugee policy

When a Norwegian freighter rescued 433 asylum seekers from a sinking vessel en route to Christmas Island, it sparked a crisis that led to hardline border policies and indelibly shifted the response to boat arrivalsEven to Abbas Nazari’s disoriented sev…

Australia secures 1m Pfizer vaccine doses from Poland, with half earmarked for Sydney Covid hotspots

530,000 of the new doses to go to 20-to-39-year-olds living in the 12 hotspot LGAs as NSW struggles to contain outbreakFollow our Covid live blog for the latest updatesRestrictions: NSW; Vic; Qld; borders. Hotspots: NSW; Vic; QldIs lightning-fast Delta…