Oceania

Australia COVID-19 cases surge, overloading testing system

Australian COVID-19 cases soared to a pandemic record on Tuesday as the Omicron variant ripped through most of the country, driving up hospitalisation rates as the once-formidable testing regime buckled…

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Australia to push ahead with reopening amid record COVID-19 cases

SYDNEY, Jan 3 (Reuters) - Australia's government said the milder impact of the Omicron strain of COVID-19 meant the country could push ahead with plans to reopen the economy even…

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Australia starts 2022 with record COVID cases

SYDNEY, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Australia started 2022 with a record number of new COVID-19 cases as an outbreak centred in the eastern states grew, and New South Wales eased…

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Photo story: New Year celebrations in Sydney

A view of the fireworks over the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge during New Year's Eve celebrations in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 31 December 2021. Fireworks at…

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Sydney gears up for New Year’s Eve celebrations despite record Omicron surge

SYDNEY, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Sydney, the Australian city worst-affected by the Omicron wave, will press ahead with New Year's Eve celebrations on Friday, with authorities encouraging revellers to come…

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Australia relaxes testing rules amid Omicron surge

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia sought to relieve pressure on overrun COVID-19 testing facilities on Thursday by narrowing its definition of close contacts of infected people and relaxing requirements for tests, as…

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Australia COVID numbers hit a peak as Omicron outbreak strains domestic politics

ustralia recorded another record surge in COVID-19 infections on Tuesday as an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant disrupted reopening of the economy, while state leaders argued over domestic…

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Australia records first Omicron death, authorities stick to reopening plan

SYDNEY, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Australia on Monday reported its first confirmed death from the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 amid another surge in daily infections, but the authorities refrained…

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Australia shortens booster wait as Omicron explosion turns holidays into chaos

Australia on Friday narrowed the wait time for people to receive COVID-19 booster shots as another record jump in daily infections resulted in cancelled flights and sent Christmas travel plans…

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Australian states reimpose mask mandates

SYDNEY, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Australia's two most populous states re-introduced COVID-19 curbs on Thursday as daily infections hit their highest amid an outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant…

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Warning issued for NSW residents as snake and spider numbers surge

The residents of the Australian state of New South Wales have been warned about a surge in snakes and spiders, thanks to weather patterns. The La Nina weather phenomenon will…

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Australia’s new COVID-19 cases hit record high

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Australia reported record high new COVID-19 cases on Saturday for a third day, with outbreaks growing in the two most populous states, however Prime Minister…

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Qantas to switch domestic fleet to Airbus in blow to Boeing

SYDNEY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd said on Thursday it has chosen Airbus SE as the preferred supplier to replace its domestic fleet, switching from Boeing Co…

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Pubs, parties push Australia’s COVID-19 cases to record levels

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Friday rushed to track down hundreds who attended a Taylor Swift album party in Sydney last week that has become a super-spreading event as…

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UK, Australia sign deal forecast to create 10 billion pounds in extra trade

LONDON/SYDNEY Dec 17 (Reuters) - Britain and Australia have signed a free trade deal projected to eventually boost bilateral trade by over 10 billion pounds ($13.3 billion), eliminating tariffs, opening…

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New Zealand reports first Omicron case in Christchurch border facility

WELLINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand reported its first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 at a state-run isolation facility in Christchurch, the Director General of Health Ashley…

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UPDATED: Four children killed and five others injured in Australia in bouncy castle fall

SYDNEY, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Four children were killed and several more badly injured in Australia after strong winds lifted an inflated jumping castle into the air during end-of-year school…

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Australia reopens borders to non-citizens despite Omicron worries

SYDNEY, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Australia on Wednesday reopened borders to vaccinated skilled migrants and foreign students after a near two-year ban on their entry, in a bid to boost…

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More border rules ease in Australia ahead of Christmas holidays

SYDNEY, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Coronavirus-free Queensland state opened its domestic borders to all vaccinated people on Monday for the first time in nearly five months, as Australians gear up…

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Hobbit, Sauron and Gollum makeovers in New Zealand as Lord of the Rings turns 20

Middle-earth came to life again this week as New Zealand celebrated 20 years since the premiere of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy with special screenings, costume exhibition and art…

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Australia shortens wait time for COVID-19 booster doses as Omicron cases rise

CANBERRA, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Australia said on Sunday it will shorten the wait time for people to receive a COVID-19 booster following a rise in cases of the Omicron…

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EXPLAINER-How will New Zealand’s lifetime ban on cigarette sales work?

Dec 9 (Reuters) - New Zealand on Thursday said it will ban young people from buying cigarettes for life, one of the toughest approaches in the world to curbing smoking…

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Coronavirus spreads in Australia’s pubs; Omicron cases linked to party boat

SYDNEY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - COVID-19 infections have been spreading in pubs and clubs in Australia's biggest city, including three new cases of the Omicron variant found among people who…

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Australia deputy PM tests positive for COVID-19 in Washington

SYDNEY, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Australia Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has tested positive for COVID-19 in Washington, DC while on an official visit, his office said in a statement…

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New Zealand to ban cigarette sales for future generations

Dec 9 (Reuters) - New Zealand plans to ban young people from ever buying cigarettes in their lifetime in one of the world's toughest crackdowns on the tobacco industry, arguing…

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Australia to regulate crypto and BNPL in payments overhaul

SYDNEY, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Australia will create a licencing framework for cryptocurrency exchanges and consider launching a retail central bank digital currency as part of the biggest overhaul of…

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Italy’s Enel enters Australia’s crowded retail power market

MELBOURNE, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Italy's Enel Group on Monday said it would start selling power to Australian businesses, vying against oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and Australia's dominant electricity…

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Australia Omicron variant spreads, testing reopening plans

MELBOURNE, Dec 4 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant spread in Australia on Saturday, testing plans to reopen the economy as a cluster in Sydney grew to 13 cases and…

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Nightclubs, cafes and casinos reopen in Auckland as marathon lockdown ends

WELLINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Aucklanders returned to nightclubs, cinemas and cafes on Friday as New Zealand's biggest city exited pandemic lockdown after more than 100 days. Retailers threw open…

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Australia records first Omicron community case

SYDNEY, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Australia on Friday reported its first community transmission of the new Omicron coronavirus variant, but authorities held steady on a plan to reopen the economy…

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Australia Omicron count edges higher, health authorities on edge

SYDNEY, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Australia's tally of people with the new Omicron variant of COVID-19 edged higher on Thursday, prompting state governments to bolster domestic border controls as health…

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Sydney braces for more Omicron cases but no lockdowns for now

SYDNEY, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Australian authorities on Wednesday flagged another probable case of the Omicron variant in Sydney as they braced for more infections after at least two international…

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Australia to introduce new laws to force media platforms to unmask online trolls

MELBOURNE, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australia will introduce legislation to make social media giants provide details of users who post defamatory comments, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. The…

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UPDATED:Australia confirms two cases of Omicron COVID-19 variant

MELBOURNE, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Australia confirmed on Sunday that two people arriving from southern Africa over the weekend had tested positive for the Omicron coronavirus variant, adding to a…

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New Zealand main opposition party ousts leader

SYDNEY, Nov 25 (Reuters) - New Zealand's National Party opposition leader Judith Collins has been dumped by the party as it grapples with instability that has helped strengthen Prime Minister…

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New Zealand to reopen to foreign travellers from April 30

New Zealand will keep its borders closed to most international travellers for a further five months, the government said on Wednesday, outlining a cautious easing of coronavirus border curbs that…

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Australian regulator says crypto investors ‘on their own’ for now

SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Australia's corporate watchdog said on Monday it was working with lawmakers to develop rules for digital currencies but warned many crypto assets remained unregulated for…

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New Zealand to end tough COVID curbs, adopt new virus-fighting system next week

WELLINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - New Zealand will adopt a new system of living with the virus from Dec. 3, which will end tough coronavirus measures and allow businesses to…

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Australia to reopen to foreign visa holders in bid to revive economy

CANBERRA/SYDNEY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Australia will allow foreign visa holders to enter the country from the start of December, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, the latest step…

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Pro and anti-vaccination protesters take to Australia streets

MELBOURNE, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Several thousand people took to Australia's streets on Saturday protesting COVID-19 vaccination mandates, while smaller crowds gathered to support the measures that have elevated the…

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Australia calls for global action to fight online misinformation

SYDNEY, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Australia on Friday called for governments around the world to agree on "rules of the road" to fight the spread of misinformation and state-backed disinformation…

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‘Life back to normal’: More COVID-19 curbs eased in Melbourne

SYDNEY, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Melbourne's pubs and cafes can have unlimited patrons from Thursday night, while stadiums can return to full capacity as authorities lifted nearly all remaining COVID-19…

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Australia toughens rules on foreign interference at universities

Australia says it has toughened foreign interference rules for universities to stop self-censorship on campuses and the covert transfer of sensitive technology, before hundreds of thousands of international students are…

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Canada and Australia hit by floods

The port of Vancouver, Canada's largest, said that all rail access had been cut by floods and landslides further to the east that killed at least one person and left…

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Australia aims to vaccinate children under 12 against COVID-19 from January

MELBOURNE, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Australia, quickly becoming one of most-vaccinated nations against COVID-19, will likely start administering the shots for children under the age of 12 in January, officials…

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Torrential rains put swaths of southeast Australia at flood risk

Nov 13 (Reuters) - Large swaths of Australia's southeast were on high alert for major flooding on Saturday after torrential rains caused rivers to break their banks, with meteorologists warning…

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Facing a boom without workers, Australian employers deploy bonuses and raises

As closed borders intensify a skills shortage, demand for Australian mergers and acquisitions lawyers is so high that firms are offering sign-on bonuses for the first time in 15 years…

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New Zealand PM Ardern hails Merkel as ‘true leader’, ‘very good person’

Nov 12 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday paid tribute to outgoing German chancellor Angela Merkel, commending her 16-year leadership of Europe's largest economy and describing…

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Australia jobs take shock fall in Oct, unemployment jumps

SYDNEY, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Australian employment suffered a shock fall in October and the jobless rate jumped as coronavirus lockdowns continued to plague the labour market, though all signs…

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Photo Story: Poppies on the Sydney Opera House for Remembrance Day

Poppy flowers are projected onto the Sydney Opera House sails during a Remembrance Day 2021 Dawn Service at Campbells Cove in Sydney, Australia, 11 November 2021. Remembrance Day is a…

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China’s Xi warns against return to Cold War tensions at APEC meeting

WELLINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The Asia-Pacific region must not return to the tensions of the Cold War era, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Thursday, ahead of a virtual…

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Sydney Airport agrees to $17.5 bln buyout as Australia begins reopening

SYDNEY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Sydney Airport Holdings said on Monday it has agreed to accept a A$23.6 billion ($17.5 billion) takeover bid from an infrastructure investor group in one…

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New Zealand mosque shooter considers appealing life sentence

WELLINGTON, Nov 8 (Reuters) - The man who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at mosques in Christchurch is considering appealing against his life sentence, saying his guilty plea after the 2019…

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Australia begins vaccine booster rollout as more curbs ease in Sydney

SYDNEY, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Australia will begin administering booster shots of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine from Monday as millions in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid…

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Sydney to further ease COVID-19 curbs on Monday as vaccinations pick up

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Australia's largest city of Sydney will further ease social distancing curbs on Monday, a month after emerging from a coronavirus lockdwon that lasted nearly 100 days,…

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Swimmer missing after shark attack off Western Australia coast

(Reuters) - A swimmer was missing off the coast of Western Australia on Saturday after what authorities said was an attack by possibly two sharks and "heroic" attempts by witnesses…

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Australia hits ‘magnificent milestone’ with 80% rate of vaccinations

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia reached on Saturday a full inoculation rate of 80% of those aged 16 and older, which Prime Minister Scott Morrison called a “magnificent milestone” on the…

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