World

Despite new virus case, New Zealand expects Australia ‘travel bubble’ to stay open

Editorial Bureau April 20, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Australia and New Zealand opened a travel bubble on Monday, after both countries had closed borders in March 2020 to non-citizens and permanent residents to contain the pandemic. However, New Zealand authorities reported on Tuesday that a worker in Auckland airport

World

Borders between Australia and New Zealand open post pandemic

Editorial Bureau April 19, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – A pandemic milestone for Australia and new Zealand that allows quarantine-free travel between the countries for the first time in over a year, hundreds of passengers from Australia began arriving in New Zealand airports. Television footage showed emotional scenes at the airports with families reuniting and scores of passengers thronging the

World

Almost clear from COVID-19,Australia still in no hurry to reopen borders

Editorial Bureau April 18, 2021

MELBOURNE (AUSTRALIA) – Australia can boast about its nearly coronavirus-free lifestyle. However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has informed that the country is in no hurry to reopen its international borders and risk people’s health. For months now, except for some short snap lockdowns, Australians have been able to dine out, gather nearly freely and stop […]

World

Australian doctors call for the government to reconsider mass vaccination hubs

Editorial Bureau April 15, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Australian authorities should add more clinics to ramp up the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, said its main medical association on Thursday. It dismissed a government plan to create mass inoculation hubs questioning its feasibility in the near term. Australian Medical Association (AMA) President Omar Khorshid said establishing mass

World

Australia confirms second Astrazeneca blood clot case

Editorial Bureau April 13, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Australia said on Tuesday a second person had been detected with a blood clot after getting the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine. That said, there had been no increase in inoculation cancellations as authorities are trying to make the immunisation campaign steady. This week Australia abandoned a goal of vaccinating all of its nearly […]

World

Pfizer vaccine order doubled by Australia, as Astra clotting leads to worries

Editorial Bureau April 9, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Australia has increased its order of the Pfizer Inc COVID-19 vaccine to double, said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday. The country has been on a race to revive its inoculation plan, when it comes to concerns about the risks of blood clots with the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine. Until late Thursday, Australia […]

World

First local COVID-19 case recorded in Australia in two weeks

Editorial Bureau March 13, 2021

CANBERRA (AUSTRALIA) – Australia recorded first local COVID-19 case in more than two weeks on Saturday after a doctor tested positive for the coronavirus. The new case has triggering restrictions in area hospitals. The doctor, whose name was not released, treated patients, forcing authorities into urgent contact-tracing, Palaszczuk said. The authorities have yet to

Asia

Australia criticises and expresses concern over Hong Kong electoral changes

Editorial Bureau March 12, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA): Australian foreign minister Marise Payne on Friday expressed serious concern at changes to Hong Kong’s electoral system introduced by China, saying the reforms weakened Hong Kong’s democratic institutions. “It is essential that Hong Kong people have channels to exercise their fundamental freedom of political expression,” Payne said in a statement. A

Business

PayPal’s ‘buy now, pay later’ option to be launched in Australia

Editorial Bureau March 10, 2021

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – Paypal’s “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) option will be launched in Australia this June. The US payments giant said on Wednesday, muscling in further on Afterpay Ltd and others for a share in the booming industry. So far PayPal’s new BNPL option has been rolled out in the United States and Britain. […]

World

Australian chief law officer denies historical rape claim

Editorial Bureau March 3, 2021

CANBERRA (AUSTRALIA) – Australia’s chief law officer Attorney-General Christian Porter, identified himself as the subject of a rape allegation that dated back to 1988. He strongly denied the allegations and declared himself innocent. Some politicians had received an anonymous allegation of the assault and had referred the material to the federal police.