Singapore | Amid rising regional tensions stoked by super-power rivalry and pandemic concerns, Singapore and Australia are set to consolidate decades of military and defence co-operation at the sixth annual leaders’ meeting.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in person for the first time in two years on Thursday. With Singapore still in semi-lockdown, the gathering will be short on pomp and ceremony and confined to just a handful of people, a reminder of the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic.