Oceania

Australia limits public gatherings to only two people

Australian officials will use fines and the threat of jail to enforce a new rule limiting public gatherings to two people, as the country’s coronavirus infection rate slowed but the…

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Australia tightens social distancing rules to combat coronavirus

Australia stepped up enforcement of social distancing rules on Saturday to contain community transmission of the novel coronavirus, implementing fines, closing beaches and threatening stricter measures if people defy…

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Photo Story: Covid-19 precautions in Australia

A local council worker sticks a notice advising pedestrians not to push the button that triggers the traffic lights, in Brisbane, Australia, 27 March 2020. The Australia Federal…

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Australian troops to enforce self-isolation rules

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday tightened enforcement on self isolation for thousands of citizens returning from overseas, saying states and territories would quarantine all arrivals in hotels. The…

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Christchurch shooter pleads guilty to 51 murders

A man accused of deadly attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch a year ago has pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder. Brenton Tarrant, 29, also…

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Photo Story: Life amid coronavirus pandemic in Brisbane

A health message regarding social distancing sits at a bus stop in Brisbane, Australia, 25 March 2020. A shutdown of non-essential services as well as domestic and international travel restrictions…

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Australia boosts lockdown measures as coronavirus cases increase

Australian officials warned that an accelerating number of coronavirus infections could start overwhelming the country’s intensive care units, as stricter social distancing measures came into force on Wednesday. Prime Minister…

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A message from the Australian PM on why social distancing matters

Australian Prime Minister issued a tweet explaining in simple terms why social distancing in the coronavirus pandemic is of outmost importance. The strident government’s message about social distancing to stop…

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Australia starts lockdown measures

Australia started shutting down pubs, clubs, gyms and houses of worship on Monday after a jump in coronavirus cases and after thousands disregarded social distancing advice and crowded beaches,…

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Australia adds A$66.4 billion in stimulus to protect the economy

Australia’s government will spend additional A$66.4 billion ($38.50 billion) as part of a second stimulus package to shelter the economy from the financial impact of the coronavirus, Prime Minister…

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Australian PM warns of lockdowns, NSW moves to comprehensive shutdown of non-essential services

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warns the country could see lockdowns in a bid to curb coronavirus. The potential measures come after large crowds gathered on Sydney's beaches including Bondi…

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Australia closes borders to coronavirus, pumps $56 billion into economy

Australia is closing its borders to foreigners and pumping about A$100 billion (49 billion pounds) into the economy as it seeks to minimise the blow from the coronavirus epidemic. Australia…

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Qantas suspends all international flights due to coronavirus pandemic

A Qantas aircraft takes off from Sydney Airport in Sydney, Australia, 19 March 2020. According to media reports on 19 March 2020, Qantas has suspended all international flights and will…

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Australia bans non-citizens and non-residents from entering into country

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the enhanced border measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It applies to all non-citizens and non-residents. Australians will still be able to return from…

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New Zealand expels two tourists who failed to follow self-isolation rules

Two people who arrived in New Zealand from South East Asia and failed to self-isolate will be kicked out of the country. The New Zealand Herald reports that Immigration NZ…

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“This is the rainy day we have been planning for” – New Zealand launches economic rescue package

New Zealand’s government announced a spending package equivalent to 4% of GDP in an attempt to fight the effects of Covid-19 on the economy, in what ministers called the most…

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Special hours in Australia for shopping by elderly, people with disabilities

Woolworths in Australia has introduced special hours in its supermarkets to ensure that elderly and people with disabilities will be able to shop in less crowded aisles during the coronavirus…

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Western Australia freezes ‘all household fees’ as part of a major economic relief package

The Australian state of Western Australia has frozen all household fees, including electricity, water, public transport fares and motor vehicles charges. The state has declared a state of emergency. WA…

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Australia imposes self isolation, bans cruise ships

Australia will impose a 14-day self isolation on all international passenger arrivals from midnight Sunday to try and contain the spread of coronavirus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. Australia will…

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Everyone entering New Zealand must self-isolate, cruise ships banned

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Saturday that everyone entering the country from midnight Sunday must self isolate for 14 days in an effort to contain the spread…

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Photo Story: Rex on the loose in Canberra

A hot air balloon in the shape of a tyrannosaurus rex is seen on Thursday next to other hot air balloons at the Canberra International Balloon Festival in Canberra, Australia.…

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Australian Minister Peter Dutton, who recently met Ivanka Trump, has the virus

Australia’s minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton, who last week met with Ivanka Trump, President Trump’s daughter and senior adviser, said he had contracted the new coronavirus. Mr. Dutton, a…

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New Zealand’s Ardern leads Christchurch shooting memorials

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Friday the country has “fundamentally changed” since last year’s Christchurch shootings, as the coronavirus pandemic loomed over a planned weekend memorial. Ardern…

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Australia limits public gatherings to contain coronavirus

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday urged people not gather in groups of more than 500 as health officials warned millions of residents will contract coronavirus within months. Australia…

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Australia’s High Court hears what may be Pell’s last appeal

The most senior Catholic to be convicted of child sex abuse took his appeal to Australia’s highest court Wednesday in potentially his last bid to clear his name. Cardinal George…

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Australia to sign deal with US to boost emergency stockpile of oil and petrol

The federal government will sign a new agreement with the United States to boost Australia’s emergency fuel stockpiles. The energy minister, Angus Taylor, will sign a deal in Washington to…

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Australia ramps up epidemic preparation as third man dies, first death from coronavirus in Latin America

A man in his 80s died in a Sydney hospital after testing positive to COVID-19, becoming the third coronavirus-related casualty in Australia, state health authorities said on Sunday. The total…

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Concern in NZ as man with coronavirus attended packed rock concert in Auckland

A person in New Zealand confirmed to have been infected was revealed on Friday to have attended a rock concert packed with thousands of other people. Health authorities said the…

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Australian newspaper prints extra eight pages to be used as toilet paper to help readers tackle shortage

An Australian newspaper has printed an extra eight pages to be used as toilet paper after coronavirus fears prompted customers to bulk buy supplies, leaving some supermarket shelves bare. In…

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Baby diagnosed with coronavirus in Australia, California declares emergency after death

A baby in South Australia has been diagnosed with coronavirus after its mum first came down with the illness. SA Health announced the baby and another new case this afternoon,…

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New Zealand police on high alert on Christchurch massacre anniversary

New Zealand police said on Wednesday they have stepped up patrols at two mosques ahead of the first anniversary of a shooting that killed 51 worshippers, after a distressing image…

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Toilet paper makers reassures Australians and steps up production

Toilet paper manufacturers in Australia say the country will be spared from a shortage, even though panicking shoppers are buying extra supplies from big supermarket chains amid coronavirus outbreak fears.r…

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Australia warns it can’t stop the spread of coronavirus from overseas

Australia’s chief medical officer said on Monday it was no longer possible to completely prevent people with the coronavirus from entering the country, citing concerns about outbreaks in Japan and…

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Jacinda Ardern reveals letter by girl asking her for advice to be a ‘kind leader’

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reveals that one of the part of her job is receiving letters from children, adding that she seriously underestimated how many there would be. However she…

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Australian share market tumbles as investors fear coronavirus spread

The Australian share market has tumbled, with investors rattled by concerns about the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, and the selling could continue, with US futures sharply lower. Investors are…

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Police shoot man dead in Brisbane after tourist stabbed

Police have shot and killed a man in central Brisbane, after he broke the nose of a male tourist and stabbed him in the back. It is understood the attacker…

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Two dead as Sydney-Melbourne train derails

Two people have been killed after a Sydney to Melbourne express train derailed near the Victorian town of Wallan, officials say. Several other passengers were being treated for injuries, emergency…

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Brisbane car fire killings of mother and her three children leave Australia reeling amid calls for action on family violence

The deaths of a Brisbane mother and her three children have prompted an outpouring of anger, sadness and disbelief among family members, politicians, domestic violence advocates and the Australian community.…

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Photo Story: Car rams into Police Station in Australia

Ruined cars sit at the Reservoir Police Station following an incident in Melbourne, Australia, 20 February 2020 after a car rammed into the Reservoir Police Station. A man is in…

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Photo Story: Australia team trains ahead of SailGP in Sydney

Team Australia's F50 catamaran is lowered into the water for a training session ahead of round one of the SailGP in Sydney, Australia, 19 February 2020. The SailGP will take…

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Australia’s former PM says Malaysia believed pilot downed MH370 jet in murder-suicide

MH370 flight, which went missing in March 2014 with 239 people on board, was downed by the pilot in a murder-suicide plot. The Beijing bound Malaysia Airlines jet went missing on…

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Photo story: Fatal plane crash kills four people in Victoria, Australia

Emergency service personnel attend to the wreckage of a light aircraft on a property in Avenel, Victoria, Australia, 19 February 2020. Four people are dead after two planes, one of…

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Sydney hit by violent storm

Photos of the aftermath of a storm that hit North Bondi, Sydney, Australia, 19 February 2020. A man is dead, thousands of people are without power and transport services…

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Children among dead in Australia car fire

Four people, including three children, have died after a car was allegedly set alight in the Australian city of Brisbane, police said. The children, all under the age of 10,…

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17

Feb

Holden car brand closes across Australia and New Zealand

About 600 Holden employees will lose their jobs after parent company General Motors announced it would axe the iconic Australian car brand by the end of the year. GM said…

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Photo Story: Mounds of seaweed washed ashore in Sydney

A woman walks through a large pile of seaweed washed ashore on Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia. The sea wrack, as it is called when large quantities are washed ashore,…

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All New South Wales fires ‘contained’

All of the bushfires in New South Wales (NSW) are now considered contained, say fire officials in the Australian state. The NSW Rural Fire Service said it was "great news"…

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Australian animals at ‘imminent risk of extinction’ after bush fires

More than 100 animal species in Australia could be lost forever without urgent intervention as a result of the bush fire crisis, a new report shows. A panel of experts…

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Sydney hit by heaviest rainfall in 30 years

The Australian city of Sydney has been hit by its heaviest rain in 30 years, bringing flooding and travel chaos and forcing thousands from their homes. Some rural areas received…

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Heavy rain extinguishes third of fires in NSW, Australia

Torrential rain across the east coast of Australia has extinguished a third of the fires in the region - and could put more out, officials say. A wide band of…

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Australian PM reshuffles cabinet

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, replacing two senior ministers from junior coalition partner the National Party following their recent resignations. Morrison said Keith Pitt -…

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No injuries reported as 5.5 earthquake strikes New Zealand

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake has struck 30km east of Tauranga. Police said they had had no reports of injuries after the shake. The 257km deep rumble was felt by at…

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Australia suspends parliament to honour Black Summer’s bushfire victims

Australia suspended parliament on Tuesday to honour the victims of a national bushfire crisis that has killed 33 people, as more than 100 fires remained ablaze across the country's east…

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Dozens of koalas found dead on Australia logging plantation

Dozens of koalas have been found dead or injured at a timber plantation in the Australian state of Victoria, sparking an investigation by officials. Blue gum trees - an important…

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Australia to deny entry to foreign travellers arriving from China, new coronavirus case confirmed taking the total in Australia to 10

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne (L) and Prime Minister Scott Morrison speak to the media during a press conference at the Sydney CPO in Sydney, Australia, 01 February…

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State of emergency declared as bushfire threatens Australian capital

Australian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Canberra and surrounding regions on Friday, as soaring temperatures and strong winds threatened to propel a large bushfire…

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Heatwave and high winds bring renewed wildfire threat in Australia

Large swathes of southeast Australia were bracing on Thursday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning for months. As firefighters and residents prepared for…

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