Australia

No international flights for another year, says Qantas

Qantas has confirmed that it won’t fly internationally at all this year, in a major blow to all those hoping to reach Australia any time soon. The national flag carrier…

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Australia sets up suburban checkpoints to contain Melbourne virus hotspots

Australian police set up suburban checkpoints in new coronavirus hotspots in Melbourne on Thursday as authorities struggled to contain new outbreaks in the country's second-largest city, even as travel restrictions…

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New South Wales, Australia confirms 14 new cases – all returned travellers

The state of New South Wales in Australia on Wednesday announced 14 new coronavirus cases, but all are travellers currently in hotel quarantine, state health minister Brad Hazzard announced.…

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Melbourne orders 36 suburbs locked down, flights to be diverted to other states

Authorities on Tuesday ordered the lockdown of 36 suburbs in Australia’s second biggest city Melbourne to stop a spike in coronavius cases, a dramatic departure from the relaxation of…

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Quarter of businesses in Pacific fear they will not survive Covid-19 pandemic

A quarter of businesses in the Pacific are not confident they will survive the coronavirus pandemic despite the region largely avoiding the pandemic health crises seen elsewhere, a survey of…

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Australia sees biggest daily rise in COVID-19 cases in 2 months

Australia's second most populous state said on Monday it is considering reimposing social distancing restrictions after the country reported its biggest one-day rise in new coronavirus infections in more than…

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Australia’s Victoria state mandates coronavirus testing for travellers

Australia’s Victoria state will implement mandatory coronavirus tests for returning travellers after a sharp spike in infections over the past two weeks, the state’s premier said on Sunday. The country’s…

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Virgin Australia to fly again

U.S. private equity group Bain Capital said on Friday it has agreed with the administrator of Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd to buy Australia's second-biggest airline for an undisclosed sum, banking…

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Photo Story: Panic buying in Melbourne

Signage for product limits sits on an empty toilet paper shelf in a Woolworths Supermarket in Melbourne, Australia, 26 June 2020. People are panic buying more toilet paper as coronavirus…

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Australia on track to further ease coronavirus curbs, PM Morrison says

Australia will stick with plans to further ease coronavirus curbs, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, despite a spike in infections in the second most populous state of Victoria.…

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Australia posts biggest one-day rise in coronavirus cases in two months

Australia's second most populous state deployed ambulances and mobile test centres in a coronavirus testing blitz as the country recorded the biggest daily rise in cases in two months. Victoria…

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Qantas to cut 6,000 jobs

Qantas Airways Ltd said on Thursday it is axing at least 20% of its workforce and plans to raise up to A$1.9 billion ($1.30 billion) of equity as part of…

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Australian musical theatre icon Michael Falzon has died at 48 after cancer battle

Australian musical theatre icon Michael Falzon has died at 48. The Rock of Ages frontman died on Tuesday night after a prolonged fight with a rare form of germ cell…

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Australia confirms first coronavirus death in a month

A person has died in the state of Victoria, Australia, in the first coronavirus-related death in more than a month. The man in his 80s died overnight. Australia’s total death…

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Australians reportedly re-stock essential items as coronavirus infections increase

Supermarkets in Australia have once again urged shoppers to buy only the real necessities as a recent spike in coronavirus infections has increased fears that social restrictions might be re-imposed.…

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Deloitte Australia cuts 7% of its workforce due to COVID-19

The Australian unit of global accounting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd said on Monday it will shed 7% of its workforce, joining a host of high-profile companies to slash costs…

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Australia state of Victoria reintroduces lockdown provisions as cases reach two-month high

Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has announced a return of coronavirus restrictions after the state recorded 25 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours, the biggest increase in two months. The state…

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Australia sees China as main suspect in state-based cyberattacks, sources say

Australia views China as the chief suspect in a spate of cyber-attacks of increasing frequency in recent months, three sources familiar with the government's thinking told Reuters on Friday. The…

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Australia’s Victoria again sees double digit rise in coronavirus cases

Australia's second most populous state of Victoria recorded a double-digit rise in new coronavirus cases for the third straight day on Friday, raising doubts about how quickly the economy can…

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Australia says it has been target of ‘state-based’ cyberattacks

A "sophisticated state-based actor" has been attempting to hack a wide range of Australian organisations for months and had stepped up its efforts recently, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on…

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Photo Story Fifteen-year-old stabbed to death in Melbourne

Mourners react next to a floral tribute where a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside Brimbank Shopping Centre, in Melbourne, Australia, 18 June 2020. Six teenage boys have been…

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Qantas halts most international flights until October

Qantas Airways Ltd said on Thursday it had cancelled most international flights until late October after the Australian government indicated its border closure because of the coronavirus was likely to…

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Australian PM says country’s job losses from coronavirus pandemic are devastating

The massive blow to Australia's employment sector from COVID-19 pandemic-driven lockdowns is "devastating", Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday after data showed the jobless rate surged to a 19-year…

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Australian universities to hire plane for foreign students shut out by virus border closure

Two Australian universities plan to hire a plane to fly in hundreds of foreign students shut out in the middle of their studies by border closures due to COVID-19, a…

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Australia considering shorter quarantine for students and low-transmission countries

Senior Australian government ministers have flagged shorter quarantine periods for international students and business travellers as part of a suite of measures to reopen Australia to international travel. On Sunday,…

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Australia’s largest states further ease coronavirus curbs

Australia's two largest states will further ease public coronavirus restrictions at libraries, community centres and nightclubs, officials said on Sunday, despite recording increases in new infections. New South Wales (NSW),…

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NSW, Australia, reports first locally transmitted case since late May

New South Wales (Australia) reported its first locally transmitted COVID-19 case since late May, a sign the threat from the pandemic is far from over as social distancing restrictions continue…

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Australia announces it has eliminated COVID-19 in some parts of the country

Australia has effectively eliminated COVID-19 in some parts of the country, its chief medical officer said on Friday. Australia has recorded 38 cases of the novel coronavirus over last week,…

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Virgin Australia to double domestic flight capacity by early July

Airline Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd said on Thursday it would double domestic capacity by early July as state border restrictions ease and demand grows, joining rival Qantas Airways Ltd in…

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Australia on track to see coronavirus largely gone by July

Australia is on course to have largely eradicated the coronavirus by July, a public health official said on Wednesday, as the country's most populous state announced the removal of restrictions…

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Autistic boy found alive after being lost for two days on ‘freezing’ mountain in Australia

A 14-year-old boy with non-verbal autism has been found alive after spending two days lost on a mountain in Australia. William Callaghan became separated from his family after running ahead…

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Thousands in Australia defy bans at Black Lives Matter protests

Thousands of Australians gathered in protests on Saturday embracing the cause of U.S. protesters angered by the death of a black man in police custody, defying bans and police warnings…

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Australia shakes up foreign investment laws for national security

Australia announced the biggest shakeup of its foreign investment laws in almost half a century on Friday, including giving the government the power to force the sale of a business…

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Qantas to reactivate plans for Sydney-London flights

Qantas Airways Ltd will reactivate plans to order airplanes capable of the world's longest non-stop commercial flights from Sydney to London when the airline returns to financial strength, its chief…

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Australia’s most populous state takes legal steps to stop Black Lives Matter protest

Australia's most populous state has lodged a legal application to stop a Black Lives Matter protest occurring in Sydney, state Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Friday. Thousands of people have…

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Qantas plans to ‘ramp up’ Australian flights

Australian airline Qantas says it hopes to increase domestic flights to 40% of pre-pandemic levels by August, up from 5% currently. That's contingent on state borders reopening as expected, says…

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Australia’s economy in recession

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has confirmed Australia is now in a recession as the economy reels from the coronavirus pandemic. Mr Frydenberg’s confirmation came after the the Australian Bureau of Statistics…

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Photo Story: Taronga Zoo in Sydney reopens

A giraffe stands in an enclosure at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, 01 June 2020. Taronga Zoo Sydney reopened to the public on 091 June 2020, after being temporarily closed…

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NSW Government offers frontline public sector workers $1,000 bonus

In Australia, the Government of New South Wales is offering a $1,000 bonus to frontline public sector workers in the face of opposition to a wage freeze amid the coronavirus…

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Australia eases social distancing restrictions

Several Australian states eased social distancing restrictions further on Monday, allowing restaurants to host more people and public attractions to reopen, as Canberra moves to revive the country’s ailing economy.…

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Photo Story: Maltese Cheesecake on Australian roads

Pastizzi is probably one of the most popular snack on the entire island. The traditional ricotta cheesecake is sold in many pastizzerias across Malta and Gozo. Pastizzi are normally made with…

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Zookeeper badly injured after lion attack at Australian zoo

Worksafe New South Wales (NSW) inspectors arrive at the Shoalhaven Zoo in Nowra, south of Sydney, Australia, 29 May 2020. A female staff member was critically injured after being attacked…

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Photo story: Investigation into loss of shipping containers from ship off Australia’s coast

Workers from logistics company QUBE inspect toppled containers on board the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England at the Port of Brisbane, Australia, 29 May 2020. An investigation is underway into…

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Australia eyes New Zealand travel “bubble” as cases fall

Falling numbers of active coronavirus cases in Australia and New Zealand are paving the way for the easing of travel restrictions between the two countries, health officials said on Wednesday,…

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Photo Story: Shipping containers lost overboard in Australia

A shipping container that was lost overboard in extreme weather from the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England. It was among five salvaged from Birdie Beach in Newcastle, on the Central…

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Sydney braces for rat ‘plague’ over Covid-19 lockdown

In Australia, empty offices and restaurants in the city of Sydney are driving hungry rats into homes and suburbs, and the loosening of restrictions could create “a new rat plague”,…

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News Corp to stop printing more than 100 newspapers in Australia

The Australian arm of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp said on Thursday it will stop printing more than 100 regional newspapers after the coronavirus shutdown gutted advertising revenue, accelerating a downturn…

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Australia records youngest coronavirus victim with death of 30-year-old

Australia recorded its youngest victim of COVID-19 after a 30-year-old man with underlying health conditions died in Queensland state, having shown symptoms of the disease for weeks but without getting…

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New Zealand expects plan for safe travel with Australia in June

Reuters reports New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday a draft blueprint on safely starting travel between New Zealand and Australia will be presented to both governments in…

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Australia calls on younger people to get virus tests as reopening accelerates

Australia's most populous state said on Saturday it recorded just three new cases of the coronavirus the previous day and urged younger people to get tested as it prepares to…

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Australia’s most populous state to relax restrictions on restaurants, cafes

Australia's most populous state said on Friday restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus will be eased to allow cafes and restaurants to have up to 50 patrons from…

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Australia seeks exemption from UK quarantine as COVID-19 cases slow

Australia, after bringing its coronavirus outbreak largely under control, said on Friday it is seeking an exemption from a requirement that travellers arriving in the UK quarantine for 14 days…

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Photo Story: Adapting to the times during the coronavirus pandemic in Australia

Australian singer Casey Donovan (C-R, back) performs live during a drive-in concert at the Robyn Webster Sports Centre in Sydney, Australia, 21 May 2020. The concert was organized as part…

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Australian government asks universities for help bringing back international students

International students could head back to Australia within months as universities plan for how they can be safely quarantined and cleared of coronavirus. The higher education sector has been hit…

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Economists predict Australia’s hospitality, arts industries may not recover from coronavirus until 2026

Hospitality and the arts, industries that were hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic might not fully recover for five or six years according to Deloitte Access Economics' latest employment forecast.…

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‘New’ footage of extinct Tasmanian Tiger found

Footage has been released of what is thought to be the last images of the now-extinct Tasmanian tiger. The 21-second film was released by the National Film And Sound Archive…

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Shortlist of four suitors in the running to take over Virgin Australia

Virgin Australia and its administrator Deloitte have shortlisted "highly credentialed" parties who could end up being the new owners of Australia's second major carrier. ABC News reports that the shortlist…

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