Australia

Australia looks to speed up COVID-19 vaccine rollout to over-50s

Australia plans to accelerate the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines to people over 50 after advising under-50s not to get the AstraZeneca jab due to blood clot concerns, Prime Minister Scott…

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Families reunite as Australia-New Zealand ‘travel bubble’ begins

Hundreds of passengers from Australia began arriving in New Zealand airports on Monday after authorities reopened borders, a pandemic milestone that allows quarantine-free travel between the countries for the first…

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Australia, largely free of COVID-19, in no hurry to reopen borders

Australia is no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk the country's nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Sunday. Australia closed its borders to all non-citizens…

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Australia considers staggered reopening of borders

SYDNEY, April 16 (Reuters) - Australia will consider a staggered reopening of its international borders to allow residents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to travel abroad first, Prime Minister…

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Australia to withdraw 80 remaining troops from Afghanistan, US final withdrawal to start on May 1

Australia will withdraw its remaining 80 military personnel in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, after the United States announced it would pull out from the country to…

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Qantas sees domestic business travel recovery 3 months behind leisure market

Australia's Qantas Airways Ltd has seen domestic leisure travel rebound to pre-pandemic levels, but demand in the corporate travel market is lagging about three months behind, its chief executive said.…

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Australia returns to “war footing” amid COVID-19 vaccine turmoil

Australia’s national cabinet will begin meeting twice a week from Monday, marking a return to a “war footing” in the country’s battle against the coronavirus pandemic amid turmoil in its…

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Australia abandons COVID-19 vaccination targets after new advice on AstraZeneca shots

Australia has abandoned a goal to vaccinate nearly all of its 26 million population by the end of 2021 following advice that people under the age of 50 take Pfizer's…

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Cyclone off Western Australia forces people to evacuate

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Tropical cyclone Seroja strenthened off Western Australia on Sunday, with emergency services opening shelters in preparation for high winds and coastal flooding later in the evening. Officials…

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Western Australia braces for ‘worst case scenario’ as cyclone Seroja nears

Authorities in Western Australia were urging residents of its Mid West coast to find safe shelter or leave on Saturday as cyclone Seroja barrelled towards a coastal region that is…

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Australia doubles Pfizer vaccine order as AstraZeneca clotting worries upend rollout

Australia has doubled its order of the Pfizer Inc COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as the country raced to overhaul its inoculation plan over concerns about…

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Australia’s most populous state suspends AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine

Australia's most populous state said on Friday it has temporarily suspended the use of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine following updated advice from the federal government. New South Wales said inoculations using…

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Australia to scrap harassment exemption for judges and politicians

Australia will scrap exemptions for judges and politicians from sexual harassment laws, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, as his government struggles to contain a backlash over allegations of…

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Australia backs Pfizer virus vaccine over AstraZeneca for under-50s

CANBERRA/SYDNEY, April 8 (Reuters) - Australia said on Thursday it now recommends people under 50 should get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in preference to AstraZeneca's shot, a policy shift that it…

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‘We are all aviators’: Australian air force replaces term ‘airmen’

Australian air force personnel will now be known as aviators rather than airmen, the force said on Thursday, in an apparent acknowledgement of the increasing diversity of its members. “We…

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Australia to continue AstraZeneca vaccine

Australia has no current plans to change the rollout of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday, after Europe's drug regulator found possible links between rare…

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Australia calls for release of 3.1 mln vaccine doses, if EU not blocking exports

Australia said on Wednesday it will ask the European Union to release more than 3 million doses of AstraZeneca PLC's COVID-19 vaccine, testing Brussels claim it is not blocking shipments,…

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Australia-NZ ‘travel bubble’ to begin April 19 in pandemic milestone

New Zealand and Australia will create a quarantine and COVID-testing free "travel bubble" from April 19, after effectively eradicating the virus by closing borders last year to stop more infections…

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Australia short of 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses in blow to vaccination drive

Australia on Tuesday said it had not yet received more than 3 million doses of previously promised AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses amid export curbs by the European Union, leaving a major hole in…

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Australia enjoys Easter with no new local coronavirus cases

Australians were celebrating Easter Sunday in a relatively unrestricted manner as the country reported no new locally acquired coronavirus cases. Queensland, the epicentre of a recent, small COVID-19 community outbreak,…

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Russell Crowe’s father died on flight

Russell Crowe's father John died onboard a flight. Passenger Andrew Fraser told Australia's 7 News that the actor's dad was flying on a regional Qantas flight from Sydney to Coffs…

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Photo Story – Good Friday in Australia

Tim Watkins portraying Jesus carrying a cross during a Good Friday Crucifixion Walk, in Martin Place, Sydney, Australia, 02 April 2021. Good Friday is the one of the highest religious…

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Australia investigates possible link of blood clot case to AstraZeneca vaccine

Australia is investigating whether a blood clotting disorder case recorded on Friday is related to the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd said. Australian media reported…

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Australia marks quietest fire season in a decade

Australia’s most populous state has closed out its quietest fire season in a decade, its fire service said, as the coolest and wettest summer in years offered a reprieve from…

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Australia lifts Brisbane lockdown in time for Easter as COVID cases dwindle

Australia ended a lockdown of its third-biggest city Brisbane on Thursday, just in time for Easter holidays, as only one new locally transmitted COVID-19 case in Queensland state eased fears…

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Photo Story: RAAF Centenary commemoration in Canberra

World War II aircraft perform a fly past on Wednesday over Parliament House during the commemorations to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), in Canberra,…

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Australia’s Queensland eyes easing curbs as fewer new COVID-19 cases reported

Australia reported a drop-off in new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 in Queensland on Wednesday, fuelling optimism that a three-day snap lockdown in state capital Brisbane will be lifted ahead…

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Brisbane goes into a three-day COVID-19 lockdown after 7 new cases

Australian authorities announced a snap three-day COVID-19 lockdown in the northern city of Brisbane from Monday afternoon, as they attempt to stamp out an outbreak of the virulent UK variant…

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Australia’s Queensland state records one new coronavirus case

Australia's Queensland state reported one new coronavirus case on Saturday linked to the highly contagious B117 UK mutant strain but authorities say the situation is not yet alarming. The infected…

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Australia prepares for flood recovery as wild weather eases

Australian authorities issued fresh flood evacuation orders for parts of the east coast on Wednesday, and warned that water levels would keep rising in some areas, even as Sydney woke…

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Australian PM reacts to reports of sex acts in parliament

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday acknowledged mounting dissatisfaction with his handling of a series of allegations about the mistreatment of women in politics, as he vowed to drive…

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Australian police find nothing criminal in Vatican fund transfers

Australian police said on Tuesday that they had found nothing criminal in the transfer of A$9.5 million ($7.3 million) from the Vatican to Australia between 2014 and 2020. Financial crime watchdog AUSTRAC…

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Thousands evacuated in Australia’s worst flooding in almost half a century

Australian authorities issued fresh flood warnings and evacuation orders on Tuesday as torrential rains again pummelled several parts of the country, sweeping away homes, roads and livestock in the worst…

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Australia accelerates the pace of COVID-19 vaccination rollout

Australia on Monday begun accelerating the pace of COVID-19 inoculations after Canberra approved local manufacturing of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine. Australia's Minister for Health Greg Hunt said about 1,000 general practitioners…

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Sydney facing worst flooding in 60 years

Australian authorities are planning to evacuate thousands more people on Monday from flood-affected suburbs in Sydney’s west, which is set for its worst flooding in 60 years with drenching rain…

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Parts of Sydney evacuated due to heavy rains

People in parts of Sydney’s northwest were ordered to flee their houses in the middle of the night as heavy rains continued to batter Australia’s east coast on Sunday with…

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Heavy rain, flash flooding batter Australia’s east coast

Australia's east coast was smashed by heavy rains on Saturday, sparking dangerous flash flooding that forced the evacuation of multiple regions as the fast-moving waters unmoored houses, engulfed roads, stranded…

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Australian regulator to tighten criteria for banking licences

Australia's banking regulator said it will set stricter requirements for companies seeking banking licenses and increase scrutiny of new entrants in the market. The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority's (APRA) move…

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Australia relieved after EU drug regulator backs AstraZeneca vaccine

Australia on Friday welcomed the European drug regulator's decision to back the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after a safety investigation as authorities ramp up the country's immunisation drive next week. Germany,…

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New Zealand says close to a travel arrangement with Australia

New Zealand is close to allowing Australians to visit without quarantining on arrival, New Zealand’s deputy prime minister said on Thursday, a reciprocal right that would create a long-touted “Trans-tasman…

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News Corp inks Australia Facebook deal, signalling truce after blackout

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp reached a content-supply deal with Facebook Inc in Australia, the companies said on Tuesday, a step toward settling a dispute that saw the social media giant briefly shut…

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Thousands rally at Australia’s parliament to demand justice for sexual assault victims

Thousands of women gathered in major cities across Australia on Monday to take part in rallies calling for gender equality and justice for victims of sexual assault. The March 4…

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Thousands to rally outside Australian parliament as pressure grows on PM

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on Australia's capital on Monday when the country's parliament resumes as part of nationwide demonstrations, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister…

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Australia records first local COVID-19 case in two weeks

Australia on Saturday recorded first local COVID-19 case in more than two weeks after a doctor tested positive for the coronavirus, triggering restrictions in area hospitals. Queensland state Premier Annastacia…

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Australia and Canada to continue using AstraZeneca vaccine, say no evidence of blood clots

Australia said on Friday it will continue to roll-out AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine as there was no evidence of a link to blood clots, despite some European countries suspending its use.…

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Australia unveils $928 mln COVID-19 stimulus package for tourism industry

The Australian government unveiled a A$1.2 billion ($928 million) tourism support package on Thursday, aimed at boosting local travel while international routes remain closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The…

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Australia sees no concern with pace of COVID-19 vaccination drive

Australia’s pace of COVID-19 immunisation drive is not a cause for concern and the vaccination programme will be completed by the end of October, authorities said on Wednesday, as the…

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Australia to offer subsidised flights to support tourism

Australia will subsidise 800,000 domestic flights, help its two main airlines and offer cheap loans to small tourism operators as part of A$1.2 billion ($921 million) package to revive the…

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Spotlight on Australia’s vexed parliament on International Women’s Day

Australia launched a A$19 million campaign on International Women’s Day urging people to “unmute” or speak up when they witness disrespect against women, as its parliament is under scrutiny over…

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New Zealand’s Auckland emerges from lockdown, Australia starts AstraZeneca vaccinations

Auckland, New Zealand’s biggest city, emerged on Sunday from a strict weeklong lockdown imposed after a community cluster of the more contagious British coronavirus variant. There were no new local…

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Australia asks European Commission to review Italy’s vaccine block

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia has asked the European Commission to review a decision by Italy to block a shipment of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, while stressing on Friday the missing doses…

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Australia armed forces called in to support COVID-19 immunization drive

Australia will seek the support of the defence forces in its COVID-19 immunisation drive, authorities said on Wednesday, as it looks to ramp up a vaccination rollout programme that is…

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Boeing, Australian air force say pilotless, fighter-like jet completed first test flight

Boeing Co and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) said on Tuesday they had completed the first flight test on a pilotless fighter-like jet designed to operate in conjunction with crewed…

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Australia home prices, job ads surge as recovery blitzes expectations

Australian home prices raced at the fastest clip in almost two decades in February and job advertisements skyrocketed, data showed on Monday, as the economy rapidly emerged from its once-in-a-generation…

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Australia moves closer to pre-pandemic life

Life across Australia inched toward pre-pandemic normal on Saturday, with New South Wales and South Australia states allowing some dancing and Victoria permitting larger crowds at sporting events. The three…

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Australia lifts ban on Boeing 737 MAX, among first in Asia-Pacific region

Australia's aviation regulator said on Friday it would lift a near two-year ban on flights to and from the country that use the Boeing Co 737 MAX planes, among the…

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Facebook switches news back on in Australia, signs content deals

Facebook Inc ended a one-week blackout of Australian news on its popular social media site on Friday and announced preliminary commercial agreements with three small local publishers. The moves reflected…

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