China accuses Australia of ‘political posturing’ over diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics

Scott Morrison says athletes will compete in next year’s Games because sport and politics should not mixGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingThe prime minister, Scott Morrison, has confirmed Australian officials will not attend the Beij…

‘Someone lied’: French foreign minister accuses Australia of submarine betrayal in latest broadside

Jean-Yves Le Drian says Australia reassured France everything was fine right up to the day the Aukus pact was announcedGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingFrance has accused Australia of lying shortly before Canberra cancelled a major …

Making waves in the Pacific: how Boris Johnson’s Global Britain went rogue

Defence pact with Australia and the US increases chance of confrontation with China and spurs nuclear proliferationLife got a little more dangerous last week. It wasn’t due to the pandemic or the climate crisis. It was entirely the result of the consci…

‘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 …