World

Military to be deployed by Australia to implement COVID-19 isolation

Editorial Bureau August 4, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Victoria state in Australia said on Tuesday that military personnel will be deployed to implement COVID-19 isolation orders. Those breaching the rules would face hefty fines as high as A$20,000 (10,899.50 pounds). Victoria earlier this week implemented a night curfew,

World

Disaster declared in Australia’s Victoria

Editorial Bureau August 2, 2020

MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – Australia’s Victoria state declared a disaster on Sunday, following which a nightly curfew was enforced for the capital Melbourne. Melbourne, despite under a reimposed six-week stay-home order is struggling to control the disease. Victoria, the second-most populous state, reported 671 infections and seven COVID-19 deaths, on Sunday,

World

Government to make Google, Facebook pay for news from Australian media outlets

Editorial Bureau July 31, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – In what is seen as a widely watched landmark step to provide protection to independent journalism, the government will make Facebook and Google pay Australian media outlets for news content. Australia is the first country to make the US tech giants pay for news sourced from media outlets under a royalty-style provision, […]

World

Australia records 700 new coronavirus cases, 13 fatalities

Editorial Bureau July 30, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – With 13 coronavirus-related fatalities and 700 new infections, Australia recorded its deadliest encounter with the pandemic on Thursday. The cases were mainly reported in the state of victoria. The total number of fatalities from the novel coronavirus has risen to 189, which is more than half of which have occurred in Victoria, […]

World

Video of Australian female lawmaker donning trash bag to protest sexism goes viral

Editorial Bureau July 28, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – A female lawmaker’s video in which she is wearing a garbage bag to protest against what she called “rubbish” comments on her attire has gone viral in Australia, bringing in support from across political parties. Nicolle Flint of the ruling Liberal Party asks in the video whether people are “sick of sexist […]

Asia

Hong Kong to suspend extradition pacts with UK, Australia and Canada

Editorial Bureau July 28, 2020

BEIJING (CHINA) – The foreign ministry said on Tuesday that Hong Kong would revoke all pacts on mutual help related to criminal matters, including extradition, with the UK, Canada and Australia. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a daily briefing that the decision of the three countries to suspend extradition pacts with Hong Kong […]

World

Victoria in Australia witnesses surge in number of daily infections

Editorial Bureau July 25, 2020

MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – The state of Victoria in Australia marked an increase in the number of coronavirus cases on Saturday as officials put in place new directives to protect those in retirement homes and prevent a second wave of infections. The second most populous state in the country recorded 357 new cases overnight. It was […]

Business

Pummelled by pandemic, Australia faces harshest recession in 30 years

Editorial Bureau July 23, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – With the coronavirus pandemic sending the country into its deepest recession since thirty years, Australia’s budget is set to nosedive into its biggest deficit since World War Two. This forces policymakers to announce hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus packages. In spite of managing the pandemic better than most countries, the […]

Business

Australia corporate watchdog not to appeal dismissal of Westpac lawsuit

Editorial Bureau July 22, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said in a statement on Wednesday that it would not appeal the Federal Court’s dismissal of its lawsuit accusing Westpac Banking Corp of failing to meet responsible lending obligations while approving mortgages. The corporate watchdog said it “is mindful of the impact of the

Tech

TikTok comes under the scanner in Australia over security issues

Editorial Bureau July 20, 2020

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Popular Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok has come under the scanner of Australian authorities who are scrutinising it for any risks that it may pose to users from foreign interference and data privacy issues. TikTok, which is owned by Bytedance, had recently opened its office in the country and the offices of […]