Latest News
We've compiled articles from news sources from all around the world so you have the information you need.
30/7/2021
Zero HedgeOver 10,000 Troops To Take Part In Major Joint China-Russia War Drills
China's defense ministry on Thursday unveiled that the PLA military is set to host major joint military drills with Russia in early August - to include more than 10,000 troops from both countries in China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in the north-central part of the country.
30/7/2021
News.com.auMystery as record number of frogs die across Australia
People around Australia are reporting a “truly unusual outbreak” of dead frogs, with “shrivelled” creatures turning up across the nation.
30/7/2021
New.com.auHealth care clinic in Campsie shamed after charging $250 for Covid vaccine
A health care clinic in Sydney’s southwest is charging hundreds of dollars for residents to get their hands on a Pfizer vaccine.
30/7/2021
News.com.auMystery as record number of frogs die across Australia
People around Australia are reporting a “truly unusual outbreak” of dead frogs, with “shrivelled” creatures turning up across the nation.
30/7/2021
Zero HedgeContainers Are Being Built At A Record Pace. It's Still Not Enough
When will the container capacity crunch finally ease? For an early indicator, keep an eye on production of the humble 40-foot dry cargo box. If the volume and cost of new containers pull back, supply chain pressures are abating. Unfortunately for beleaguered cargo shippers, these bellwethers now imply the opposite: that the scramble for container capacity is growing even more intense.
30/7/2021
9 NewsQueensland school shut after student tests positive to COVID-19
A Brisbane school has been closed after a student at the campus tested positive to COVID-19.
29/7/2021
The ConversationNow that Australia’s inflation rate is 3.8%, is it time to worry?
Suddenly, Australia’s annual inflation rate is 3.8%, having jumped from 1.1% for the twelve months to March.
29/7/2021
SBS NewsNSW reports record 239 COVID-19 cases and two new deaths as authorities further tighten restrictions
New South Wales has reported a record 239 local cases of coronavirus and two new deaths, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian warning things are “likely to get worse before they get better”.
29/7/2021
7 NewsCOVID-19 case flew between Brisbane, Qld and Perth,WA
Queensland authorities are on alert over a flight from Brisbane to Perth last week after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19.
29/7/2021
ReutersAustralia's largest city posts record daily rise in COVID-19 cases, seeks military help
SYDNEY, July 29 (Reuters) - Australia's biggest city Sydney posted a record one-day rise in local COVID-19 cases on Thursday and warned the outbreak would get worse, as authorities sought military help to enforce a lockdown of 6 million people poised to enter its sixth week.
29/7/2021
Al JazeeraSoaring tortilla prices hit struggling Mexican households hard
Mexico City, Mexico – For 69-year-old Maria Eugenia Aguilera, her weekly shop has come with nasty sticker shocks over the last year.
29/7/2021
Al JazeeraThousands of scientists warn climate tipping points ‘imminent’
Thousands of scientists have repeated calls for urgent action to tackle the climate emergency, warning that several tipping points are now imminent.
29/7/2021
BBC NewsChina expanding its nuclear capabilities, scientists say
Satellite images from Xinjiang province in the west of the country suggest it is building a nuclear missile silo field, a report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) says.
28/7/2021
The West AustralianLikely inflation spike won't unsettle RBA
The latest annual inflation figures are expected to show a huge jump in prices, particularly for fuel, growing well above the Reserve Bank of Australia’s two to three per cent target band.
28/7/2021
Yahoo FinanceLike prices, inflation talk is going through the roof
After all, prices across the economy rose at the fastest pace since 2008 in June — and between labor, materials and shipping, it's gotten more expensive and challenging to get just about anything done in the business world.
28/7/2021
9 NewsWarnings for several states as intense winds slam opposite sides of Australia
Severe weather warnings are in place for three states and the ACT again today as gale force winds slam opposite sides of Australia. A strong cold front generates powerful winds, rain, and large surf over southern Australia.
28/7/2021
News.com.auNew covid variant discovered as Delta continues to spark Australia’s lockdowns
The UK may have freedom but they’re also brewing up a potentially fatal disaster that could see Australia suffer further.
28/7/2021
News.com.auEye-watering cost of Greater Sydney lockdown extension revealed
The eye-watering cost of Sydney’s strict stay-at-home extension has been revealed as the city is set to be locked down for another month.
28/7/2021
South China Morning PostNo entry: the trouble ahead in China for the WHO’s Covid-19 origins hunt
The UN body wants to investigate the possibility that the coronavirus could have leaked from a laboratory in China. But Beijing is blocking the path and any progress could be months away.
28/7/2021
Al JazeeraIMF warns of growing poverty, unrest and geopolitical tensions
The global economic recovery continues, but with a widening gap between advanced economies and many emerging market and developing economies thanks to vaccine inequity and a lack of fiscal support, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Tuesday.
27/7/2021
Sky NewsEconomic benefit of China’s rise is now a ‘substantial risk’ with increasingly complex COVID-19 dynamic
Australian political and business leaders once championed China as it rose to the economic superpower that it is today, but the intertwined and complex dynamics caused by the COVID-19 pandemic puts Australia between a ‘rock and a hard place’, writes David Scutt.
27/7/2021
ABC NewsBlacktown apartment block under police guard after six residents test positive to COVID-19
Residents have been told they can't leave the apartments for two weeks. Residents were tested yesterday and there are six positive cases across three associated households. The building is taped off and police are ensuring compliance with public health orders.
27/7/2021
Perth NewsPerth weather: Wild storm uproots trees and halts train services causing peak hour chaos
Perth and the South West have been lashed by wild weather overnight, with wind gusts of more than 135km/h uprooting trees, plunging roads into chaos and grinding trains to a halt. More than 18,000 homes and businesses have been left without power after a strong storm cell barrelled through WA, bringing with it a “twice in a year” weather system, huge downpours and even hail in parts.
27/7/2021
7 NewsVictoria’s Tuesday COVID cases promising ahead of lockdown ending announcement, with all 10 new infections in isolation
Victoria has recorded another promising sign the state-wide lockdown will end as planned, with all of the new COVID-19 cases in isolation for their entire infectious period.
26/7/2021
9 NewsAustralian government secures 85 million Pfizer booster shots for 2022 and 2023
The federal government has secured an additional 85 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to provide Australians with booster doses in the next two years.
26/7/2021
9 NewsHow Taiwan is trying to defend against a cyber 'World War III'
As China steps up military pressure on Taiwan, the self-governing island is preparing for the next big frontier of warfare: crippling cyberattacks.
26/7/2021
ABC NewsSouth Australian COVID–19 lockdown to end on Tuesday night after one new local case
The case is an 87-year-old man linked to the Modbury cluster who has been in quarantine, bringing the total number of cases to 19.
26/7/2021
7 NewsCalls for welfare recipients in lockdown to automatically receive higher COVID-19 disaster relief payments
Labor wants welfare recipients living in lockdown areas automatically bumped onto higher COVID-19 disaster relief payments.
26/7/2021
7 NewsWA on COVID alert over flu-like symptoms on SECOND cargo ship off Perth
Western Australia is again on COVID-19 alert after a bulk carrier in waters off Perth reported it was carrying crew members with flu-like symptoms.
26/7/2021
Perth NowPerth weather: Bureau tells people to leave work early as heavy rainfall, damaging winds forecast
Four days — that’s all Perth residents got before the blanket of grey clouds and soaking showers we’ve been trapped under almost every day this month returned.
26/7/2021
Hellenic Shipping NewsChina crackdown could knock crude oil import growth to 20-year low
Beijing’s crackdown on the misuse of import quotas combined with the impact of high crude prices could see China’s growth in oil imports sink to the lowest in two decades in 2021, despite an expected rise in refining rates in the second half.
26/7/2021
Zero HedgeWhy Is The CDC Quietly Abandoning The PCR Test For COVID?
We have detailed (most recently here and here) the controversy surrounding America's COVID "casedemic" and the misleading results of the PCR test and its amplification procedure in great detail over the past few months.
23/7/2021
9 NewsNumerous websites briefly go down in widespread outage
Major websites went down Thursday in what appeared to be a brief but widespread outage.
23/7/2021
Zero HedgeHere We Go Again: Toyota Shutters Factory In Thailand Due To COVID 'Delta' Variant
Today in "are we going to do the entire lockdown again for the Delta variant despite the entire world having access to vaccines" news...
23/7/2021
ReutersDeadly floods in Germany, China and North America’s sizzling heatwaves have one common link: jet stream
Devastating floods destroyed towns in Germany and Belgium. A ruthless heatwave broiled the Western US and Canada. Heavy rains paralysed a Chinese industrial hub home to 10 million people. These recent weather phenomena are being intensified by the changing climate.
23/7/2021
9 NewsGusty winds and rain heading for Australia's east after cold snap
There's been some relief from the cold snap this morning with temperatures climbing slightly higher after much of the country experienced its chilliest day of the year.
23/7/2021
9 NewsPfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be approved for children aged 12 to 15
Health Minister Greg Hunt has confirmed the approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15.
22/7/2021
ReutersUK food supply chains ‘on the edge of failing', meat industry warns
The British Meat Processors’ Association (BMPA) said the shortage of skills was so critical, some plants had reported vacancies of 10% to 16% of permanent positions, discounting the impact of the pandemic. “On top of the underlying worker shortage, we’re also hearing from some members that between 5% and 10% of their workforce have been 'pinged' by the (health service) app and asked to self-isolate,” BMPA CEO Nick Allen said.
22/7/2021
SBS NewsSouth Australian COVID-19 cluster doubles to 12 cases as list of exposure sites grows
South Australia has recorded another six local COVID-19 cases in addition to the one announced earlier on Wednesday.
22/7/2021
News.com.auVictoria records 26 new local Covid-19 cases as lockdown remains in place
The state’s health department confirmed the new local virus cases about 9am but in a positive sign for the Victoria’s lockdown, they said all 26 were linked to existing outbreaks that have stemmed from NSW.
22/7/2021
Al JazeeraUK to permanently deploy two warships in Asia Pacific
Plans for the high-profile visit by the UK carrier strike group come as London deepens security ties with Tokyo amid tensions in the South China Sea.
22/7/2021
ABC NewsAt least 25 killed, 200,000 displaced by evacuations as torrential rain floods China's Henan province
Heavy rains have lashed Henan province since the weekend and more is forecast. The equivalent of a year's average rain hit Zhengzhou city in just three days. Rainstorms submerged the city's metro, killing 12 people and injuring five.
22/7/2021
Zero HedgeAmerican Life Expectancy Sees Biggest Drop Since WWII, Erasing 20 Years Of Progress
Life expectancy in the US fell by 1.5 years in 2020, the biggest decline since at least World War II, as COVID killed indiscriminately, while the numbers of overdoses, homicides and other "deaths of despair" climbed.
21/7/2021
News.com.auVictorian Premier hints at future where vaccinated Aussies granted more freedoms
The Victorian Premier has hinted at a future where Aussies vaccinated against Covid-19 would be granted more freedoms than those who haven’t received the jab. When questioned about the possibility, Daniel Andrews said there was “genuine interest” in the idea. But he warned no coronavirus vaccine developed anywhere in the world completely prevented people from contracting the virus.
21/7/2021
Al Jazeera‘It cannot be contained’: Indonesia COVID deaths go unreported
More people are being forced to isolate at home as overwhelmed hospitals turn patients away. Many are dying.
21/7/2021
ABC NewsConsumers lose confidence, and those in states not affected by COVID lockdown feel it most
Consumer confidence is down sharply in data collected on the weekend. It’s down most in cities and states not in lockdown.
20/7/2021
ABC NewsBOM declares negative Indian Ocean Dipole, tipping the odds towards more wet weather
The IOD climate driver is associated with wetter than average conditions for most of southern Australia and parts of the west coast. Farmers in some areas are already enjoying a wet year, but more rain will be welcome for some. Researchers say positive IOD phases may become more common in the future, but negative events are harder to predict.
20/7/2021
Sky NewsStates close borders as more than 13 million Australians go into lockdown amid COVID outbreaks
As Greater Sydney, Victoria and South Australia all go into lockdown, states and territories across the country slam shut their borders.
20/7/2021
ABC NewsRussia tests hypersonic Tsirkon missile, leaving NATO concerned about potential escalation
The missile flew at seven times the speed of sound. It hit a target more than 350 kilometres away. NATO allies say they will respond in a measured way to Russia's growing capabilities.
15/7/2021
News.com.auWhat it‘s like for Sydney Covid patients in St Vincent’s ICU
For the first time, cameras have been allowed inside a Sydney ICU, where patients are fighting for their lives.
15/7/2021
Zero HedgeSouth African Army 'Activates' All Reserve Members Amid Worsening Social Unrest
As social unrest nears the 7th day in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, the South African Army Reserve has ordered "all Reserve Members" for duty on Thursday morning.
15/7/2021
Sky NewsCOVID-19 update: Face masks return to Melbourne as Sydney outbreak grows, lockdown considered
Masks will become mandatory in all indoor settings - including workplaces and secondary schools - as the state tries to overcome the outbreak from Sydney that has jumped the border.
15/7/2021
Sky NewsCOVID-19 update: Face masks return to Melbourne as Sydney outbreak grows, lockdown considered
Masks will become mandatory in all indoor settings - including workplaces and secondary schools - as the state tries to overcome the outbreak from Sydney that has jumped the border.
15/7/2021
SBS NewsIndonesia posts record daily COVID-19 infections as it becomes new 'epicentre of Asia'
Taliban fighters in Afghanistan seized control of a major border crossing with Pakistan on Wednesday, one of the most important objectives they have achieved so far during a rapid advance across the country as U.S. forces pull out.
15/7/2021
SBS NewsIndonesia posts record daily COVID-19 infections as it becomes new 'epicentre of Asia'
Taliban fighters in Afghanistan seized control of a major border crossing with Pakistan on Wednesday, one of the most important objectives they have achieved so far during a rapid advance across the country as U.S. forces pull out.
15/7/2021
ReutersAfghan Taliban seize border crossing with Pakistan in major advance
Taliban fighters in Afghanistan seized control of a major border crossing with Pakistan on Wednesday, one of the most important objectives they have achieved so far during a rapid advance across the country as U.S. forces pull out.
14/7/2021
ABC NewsKim Jong Un grapples with the worst crisis in his reign so far: A crippled economy, no COVID-19 vaccines and food shortages
Its virus control strategy to date has been simple and effective: strict quarantine measures have kept the virus from coming in by keeping everything else out. But while North Korea may not have the virus within its borders, its pandemic defence has come at a cost. Along with crippling its economy, the closure has also meant there is no clear strategy on how the regime will vaccinate its population to protect it against a wave of the coronavirus.
14/7/2021
ABC NewsChinese spy ship returns to waters off Queensland ahead of Defence's largest war-fighting exercise
The ADF says it has been monitoring the approach of the vessel for "several days". The ship is expected to remain outside Australian territorial waters. Similar Chinese spy vessels watched Australia's war games in 2017 and 2019.
14/7/2021
South China Morning PostSouth China Sea: US-Philippines treaty covers Chinese attack, Blinken says
China says international ruling regarding the resource-rich waterway are a ‘waste of paper’ containing obvious errors and its sovereignty will not be affected Statement coincides with anniversary of 2016 international tribunal ruling in favour of Manila’s territorial claims.
14/7/2021
Zero HedgePortions Of Mississippi River Nearing Record Low, May Jeopardize Barge Traffic
In another sign, the megadrought is wreaking havoc across the Western half of the US. There are multiple portions of the Mississippi River that are nearing record low water levels that may inhibit commercial or private vessels from traversing the critical waterway.
14/7/2021
Zero HedgeGoldman Says Economic Impact From Delta Will Likely Be "Modest"
In heavily vaccinated countries like the US and UK, the analysts pointed out a newfound discrepancy: while Delta is driving new cases higher in places where restrictions on movement and business have recently been lifted, the number of new hospitalizations and deaths have remained subdued, and shown little correlation with any rise in confirmed cases.
13/7/2021
Sky NewsDelta variant ‘seemingly less severe’ but ‘more transmissible’
The Menzies Research Centre’s Nick Cater says it seems clear the chance of dying if you contract the Delta variant is “considerably smaller” than the Alpha variant. “Basically, if you’re under 50 it’s virtually zero – that’s according to public health UK,” he told Sky News host Cory Bernardi.
13/7/2021
SBS NewsVictoria records one new COVID-19 case, as Melbourne apartment complex told to quarantine
A Melbourne apartment complex is in lockdown as authorities work to track the movements of a group of infectious removalists from NSW who visited the state.
13/7/2021
ABC NewsDeputy Premier hints at new restrictions for parts of Sydney
Deputy Premier John Barilaro has hinted at new restrictions for parts of Sydney, admitting NSW has "lost control" of the outbreak.
13/7/2021
ABC NewsSydney's COVID-19 lockdown may cost Australia $7 billion, economist warns
Greater Sydney's lockdown could cost the national economy $1 billion per week, according to a prominent Australian economist. "We’re already into the third week. But if it gets extended for, say, another four weeks, we’re looking at a $7 billion cost," AMP Capital's chief economist Shane Oliver said.
12/7/2021
Perth NowCoronavirus crisis: Mark McGowan posts epic video celebrating the end to mandatory masks
It’s masks off Monday and Mark McGowan has celebrated with an epic face reveal.
12/7/2021
G News[Inquisitive Minds] Spontaneous Abortion Rate is Shockingly High After Vaccine
Dr. Tom T. Shimabukuro’s research group from the Immunization Safety Office at the CDC, studied 827 cases if pregnant women in different trimesters, in which 700 of the 827 women were vaccinated in the third trimester, the rest of 127 supposed to be in their 1st or 2nd trimester. Their conclusion of this study as stated, “The preliminary findings did not show obvious safety signals among pregnant persons who received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.”
12/7/2021
9 NewsAstraZeneca vaccine to become available to over-40s in NSW in desperate bid to suppress outbreak
The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to all residents in NSW aged 40 and over, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced.
12/7/2021
9 NewsQueensland to ease restrictions after zero new local COVID-19 cases
Coronavirus restrictions will ease across Queensland after the state recorded zero new local COVID-19 cases overnight.
12/7/2021
G NewsBig Tech Platforms’ Censorship Has Violated Many Global Citizen’s Freedom of Speech， Congress Is Introducing a Plan To End This
House Republican members are pushing a plan to regulate social media companies, in part, by allowing users who have been censored to sue the Big Tech firms who “monopolies.”
12/7/2021
Perth NowPerth weather: Reports of flooding in southern suburbs as huge storm hits WA
A "twice-in-a-year" supercell storm event has crossed the coast and begun battering WA, with rainfall totals already topping 30mm in some areas just hours after it began.
12/7/2021
Zero HedgeWhat If The Next Major Cyberattack Targeted The Internet?
Over the past few months I have been writing analysis on a planned crisis war game organized by the World Economic Forum called “Cyberpolygon.” The event will be held this week on July 9th, and it’s allegedly designed to simulate a massive cyberattack that somehow disrupts the global supply chain, or at the very least disrupts the supply chain of multiple large economies.
9/7/2021
Al JazeeraDemand for bush food is booming, so why are so few Indigenous people involved in the sector?
The demand for native food in Australia continues to outstrip supply, but only a small percentage of people in the industry are actually Indigenous.
9/7/2021
Al JazeeraDeath of WA woman, 61, linked to vaccine
The death of a 61-year-old West Australian woman last month was likely linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Therapeutic Goods Administration has confirmed.
9/7/2021
Al JazeeraPfizer developing COVID-19 vaccine booster after waning immunity
Pfizer will develop a booster dose to protect people from variants of COVID-19 after seeing waning immunity from its vaccine.
9/7/2021
Sky NewsCrowds for Olympic Games scrapped as Tokyo enters state of emergency
The Games will be held without crowds due to Tokyo entering a state of emergency, Olympics minister Tamayo Marukawa has confirmed.
9/7/2021
SBS NewsHeavy rain for NSW to last into weekend
New South Wales can expect heavy rain today and high winds in some areas, with wet conditions continuing into the weekend.
8/7/2021
Al JazeeraOil prices stay volatile amid ongoing OPEC+ clash over output
Oil has soared in 2021 as the rollout of coronavirus vaccines permits major economies to reopen, spurring a revival in global consumption. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have returned some of the production they took offline at the height of the pandemic, but they’re struggling to agree on a way forward.
8/7/2021
Sky NewsQLD records two new cases as Sunshine Coast University Hospital staff isolated
Queensland has recorded two new cases of local transmission. It comes as ten hospital staff from Sunshine Coast University Hospital have been forced into 14-day quarantine after saving the life of a COVID-19 infected patient.
8/7/2021
SBS NewsNSW braces for COVID-19 cases spike as authorities flag possible harsher restrictions for Sydney's southwest
Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the virus was spreading rapidly in the local government areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown.
8/7/2021
ABC NewsFarmers on the New South Wales–Queensland border have gone from one extreme to the next, with the wettest start to the winter cropping season in a decade.
Farmers on Queensland's border are reporting the best start to winter in a decade. Some paddocks are so soggy that some are seeding by plane. However, heavy rain has halted sowing operations in northern NSW.
8/7/2021
ReutersHaiti may slip deeper into lawlessness after president's killing
Haitian President Jovenel Moise was shot dead overnight on Wednesday, stoking fears of deepening chaos in an impoverished Caribbean nation already reeling from rampant gang violence and facing a constitutional crisis.
7/7/2021
ReutersIran begins process of making enriched uranium metal; U.S., E3 dismayed
Iran has begun the process of producing enriched uranium metal, the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Tuesday, a move that could help it develop a nuclear weapon and that three European powers said threatened talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
7/7/2021
SBS NewsVictoria to reveal new 'COVID-normal' rules as businesses push to ease mandatory masks
Victoria's next step toward 'COVID-normal' restrictions is set to be announced, with business groups lobbying for an end of mandatory masks in offices.
7/7/2021
ABC NewsNSW records 27 new COVID-19 cases as Greater Sydney lockdown extended
NSW recorded 27 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday. The source of nine of those remain under investigation. Greater Sydney's lockdown has been extended for another week — until 12:01am on July 17.
6/7/2021
ABC NewsFlooded south coast WA farmers to lose out on potential record grain harvest
Farmers may expect to harvest a record 20 million tonnes of grain in Western Australia. Excessive rain drowned some crops in the Great Southern and south coast regions. Some south coast WA farms are too waterlogged to sow or spray.
6/7/2021
ABC NewsSecond severe WA weather warning for state's south as barrage of cold fronts head for coast
Thunderstorms and showers with strong winds are set to hit WA's south. There is a warning about possible damage to homes and property. Perth is not in the warning zone but is still set to get decent rainfall.
6/7/2021
Sky NewsPfizer boss suggests third COVID-19 vaccine dose needed after efficacy rates drop in Israel
While efficacy rates have fallen, the vaccine is still proving to be strong barrier against any severe symptoms. Hospitalisation prevention was sitting at 93 per cent from June to July, slipping slightly from earlier reports of 98 per cent and there have been no deaths in the last 12 days.
6/7/2021
SBS NewsMasks and distancing rules to be scrapped in England as part of shift to 'personal responsibility'
That variant now accounts for nearly all new COVID-19 cases in Britain, and infection rates have soared, sparking concern. But mass vaccinations have stopped a resultant surge in hospital admissions or deaths.
5/7/2021
Al Jazeera NewsUN World Food Programme says 41 million on verge of famine
Some 41 million people in 43 countries are at imminent risk of famine, with nearly 600,000 others in four countries already experiencing famine-like conditions, the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
5/7/2021
ABC NewsAustralia Post launches new parcels marking traditional place names
Australians will now be prompted to include traditional place names when addressing letters and parcels, after a community campaign.
5/7/2021
7 NewsNew Sydney COVID cases confirmed as city waits for lockdown announcement
NSW has recorded another 35 cases of COVID-19 as Greater Sydney awaits a decision on whether lockdown will be extended.
5/7/2021
7 NewsWA records another COVID-19 case as household contact tests positive
Western Australia has recorded one new local COVID-19 case days after more than two million residents were freed from lockdown.
5/7/2021
ReutersFace masks to become a personal choice in England, minister says
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - The wearing of face coverings in England will become a personal choice and the data that will determine if lockdown restrictions can be lifted this month was looking "very positive", Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said on Sunday.
5/7/2021
9 NewsWarnings as severe storms lash Western Australia
Residents in Western Australia are being warned of destructive winds and dangerous surf as a severe strong cold front moves across the state.
5/7/2021
9 NewsQueensland records four new local COVID-19 cases, all linked to known infections
Queensland has recorded four new local COVID-19 cases.Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the new cases were linked to known infections and had been confirmed as the Alpha strain of the virus.
2/7/2021
Zero HedgeMark McGowan reveals Perth and Peel’s COVID-19 lockdown will be lifted from 12.01am Saturday amid one new case
The Perth and Peel lockdown will be lifted at midnight as planned despite WA recording one new locally-acquired case overnight.
2/7/2021
Zero HedgeNew Study Links "Acute Chest Pain" In Male Soldiers To mRNA Vaccines
More research has been published highlighting more problematic side effects linked to COVID-19 shots. Last week, we published our latest update on rare cases of heart inflammation that have been linked to the mRNA COVID jabs, including the jabs from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna. After a hurried secret meeting with its advisory board on vaccine safety, the FDA reluctantly release a warning asking patients experiencing these symptoms to seek help immediately.
2/7/2021
9 NewsWA enters its final day of lockdown after 'amazingly encouraging news'
Residents in Western Australia's Perth and Peel regions are hoping they have woken to their final day of lockdown.
2/7/2021
Perth NowUS warns on China's nuclear build-up
The United States says China's rapid build-up of its nuclear forces is concerning and is calling on Beijing to engage with it "on practical measures to reduce the risks of destabilising arms races".
2/7/2021
G NewsFauci: "There Are Now Two Americas, The Vaccinated & The Unvaccinated"
America’s favourite Chinese lab funding coronavirus doomonger doctor Anthony Fauci announced Tuesday that there are now two Americas, a vaccinated America and an unvaccinated America.
30/6/2021
G NewsMortality Rate 8 Times Higher Among Fully Vaccinated Than Unvaccinated If Infected by Delta Variant – UK Data Shows
Delta variant (B.1.617.2) of CCP virus is spreading like wildfire all over the world. Because of the super high infectivity of this variant, a lot of countries have taken full advantage of this “opportunity” to persuade (or scare) people to get vaccinated, claiming that vaccination will offer a significant level of protection.
30/6/2021
ABC NewsFrustrated West Australian-Northern Territory border families feel pain of COVID-19 rules
Residents relying on essential services across the WA-NT border call for a long-term solution. Alana Hunt worries about her family's access to emergency care and her partner was unable to say goodbye to his sister before she died. The family now faces a 500km trip to the doctor or the shops.
30/6/2021
SBS NewsTemperature records tumble again in US, Canada as heatwave enters uncharted territory
The "statistically freaky" heatwave is affecting western Canada and the north-west US. Lytton in British Columbia set a new Canadian record of 47.9C on Monday. The heatwave is being driven by high pressure, climate change and drought.
30/6/2021
SBS NewsQueensland hospital worker confirmed to have Delta coronavirus variant as millions wake up in lockdown
The 19-year-old tested positive on Monday but is believed to have been infectious in the community for about 10 days, and in that time worked two shifts at the hospital and went on a family holiday to Townsville. Late on Tuesday, authorities confirmed she has the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus.
30/6/2021
SBS NewsQueensland announces three more local COVID-19 cases on first full day of new lockdown
All three local cases are close contacts of existing cases. The new numbers came from 18,447 tests.
29/6/2021
Perth NowPerth lockdown: FIFO flights grounded as miners told to stay put
More than 20 FIFO charter and scheduled passenger flights have been cancelled within WA today as the four-day Perth and Peel lockdown kicks in.
29/6/2021
Perth NowPerth coronavirus restrictions: Everything you need to know about the mutant COVID-19 Delta variant
A new COVID-19 case that has led to phase one restrictions in Perth and Peel is “probably” the highly infectious Delta strain, Health Minister Roger Cook has revealed.
29/6/2021
Zero HedgeSyria's Largest US-Occupied Oil Field Comes Under Missile & Mortar Attack
A US military base at Syria's occupied Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor province has come under attack by unknown groups following last night's Biden-ordered airstrike on militia bases along the Syria-Iraq border. Western sources are reporting it as "revenge" by "Iran-backed militias" for the Sunday night US military action against pro-Iranian encampments along Syria's eastern border, which left multiple militia members dead.
29/6/2021
9 NewsNSW records 19 new COVID-19 cases amid record testing numbers
New South Wales has recorded 19 new cases of COVID-19 to 8pm yesterday. A staggering 67,000 people were tested for the virus in the 24-hour reporting period as the number of exposure sites around Sydney continues to grow.
29/6/2021
ABC NewsAustralia-New Zealand travel bubble set to resume with some states
The New Zealand government has announced that the travel bubble with Australia will resume with South Australia, ACT, Tasmania and Victoria on July 5.
29/6/2021
ABC NewsQueenslanders heading for three-day lockdown as state records two locally acquired COVID-19 cases
Parts of Queensland will go into a three-day lockdown after the state recorded two new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
29/6/2021
ABC NewsWhy are fully vaccinated people subject to COVID-19 restrictions, and is that likely to change?
Millions of Australians are grappling with fresh COVID-19 lockdowns and enhanced social distancing measures as the country faces multiple unfolding outbreaks.
29/6/2021
Zero HedgeIsrael Sees Explosion Of Cases In Vaccinated Patients Caused By "Delta" Variant
More evidence is emerging to suggest that the Delta COVID variant poses a very real threat, even to patients who have already been fully vaccinated.
28/6/2021
News.com.auSingapore’s surprising new plan to ‘live with covid’ revealed
No quarantine, no icky tests and no daily numbers – one nation that Australians know well is taking a controversial course out of the pandemic.
28/6/2021
ABC NewsUS launches air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, after drone attacks
The United States has carried out another round of air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria in response to drone attacks.
28/6/2021
9 NewsThe highly contagious Delta strain explained
The highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 will ambush countries which have slow vaccination rollouts and a weak uptake in preventative strategies, scientists have warned.
28/6/2021
ReutersAustralia says pandemic will hit gov't budget, population over next 40 years
SYDNEY, June 28 (Reuters) - The coronavirus-induced border closures and lockdowns in Australia will have an enduring impact on government coffers and population growth, according to official forecasts released on Monday.
25/6/2021
Sky NewsBusiness confidence falls in Victoria after fourth lockdown
Melbourne restaurant owners pushed to the edge by Victoria’s fourth lockdown say they are being forced to invest interstate.
25/6/2021
Sky NewsChina lodges trade complaint against Australia
China has lodged a complaint with the World Trade Organisation over Australia’s anti-subsidy and anti-dumping measures against Chinese exports.
25/6/2021
Zero HedgeFootage Of Bats Kept In Wuhan Lab Fuels Scrutiny Over Its Research
Official Chinese state-approved footage from years ago showing bats being kept at the Wuhan Institute of Virology has further fueled scrutiny of the research being conducted at the secretive facility.
25/6/2021
9 NewsQ&A explainer: Everything you need to know about new lockdown for Sydney COVID-19 hotspots
Four Sydney Local Government Areas will plunge into a seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm tonight in a bid to stamp out the state's escalating coronavirus outbreak.
24/6/2021
Sky NewsAstraZeneca use to be phased out by October
The federal government is now projecting the AstraZeneca vaccine will be phased out by the end of the year since it is expected all those 60 years and older will be fully vaccinated by then. The recent changes to the medical advice surrounding the AstraZeneca jab - due to blood clot concerns - means people aged 60 and older are now the only ones eligible to receive the vaccine.
24/6/2021
ABC News'Super' heat tolerant kelp restores hope for underwater forests battling climate change
Heat tolerant giant kelp identified in the wild has been bred and replanted. Climate change has caused giant kelp forests to decline by 95 per cent. Trials of the "super" kelp have been successful with some growing more than four metres in nine months.
24/6/2021
Zero HedgeChina Denounces US Navy Warship Transiting Taiwan Strait
China called the U.S. Navy's latest sail of a warship through the Taiwan Strait the region's most significant security "risk creator." The narrow waterway that separates Taiwan from China is a highly contested region. The U.S. Pacific Fleet said Tuesday the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur "conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit June 22 (local time) through international waters in accordance with international law."
24/6/2021
Perth NowInflammation and Pfizer, Moderna link: US
Rare cases of heart inflammation in adolescents and young adults is likely linked to vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 shots, a group of doctors advising the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say in a newly-released presentation.
23/6/2021
SBS NewsAustralia's trust in China has fallen to a record low
The 2021 Lowy Institute Poll has revealed record low levels of trust in China, high levels of praise for Australia's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and a desire to do more on climate change.
23/6/2021
SBS NewsNew Zealand coronavirus lockdown 'on the table' after Australian travels while likely infectious
New Zealand health authorities are considering options after an Australian travelled to Wellington, only to test positive for COVID-19 on their return.
23/6/2021
ABC NewsAtmospheric river set to deliver a deluge from coast to coast
An atmospheric river is set to bring widespread rain from the north-west to the south-east this week. Rain has started in South Australia and is expected to reach Melbourne Wednesday, Canberra and Sydney Thursday and Brisbane Friday. Recent flood-hit parts of Gippsland are not expected to receive significant falls but the Bureau is watching a cut-off-low behind the system.
22/6/2021
ABC NewsIndian Ocean Dipole developing off WA likely to spell wet winter and spring for much of Australia
The Indian Ocean Dipole influences Australia's weather patterns. A negative IOD phase it brings more rain, especially in south-eastern states. Despite forming off the WA coast, the state's South West will likely miss out.
22/6/2021
Zero HedgeVaccines Exhibit "Reduced Efficacy" Against "Delta" Variant, WHO Doctor Warns
As the mutant COVID-19 strain known as "Delta" picks up steam across Europe and the US, one of the WHO's leading doctors has just expressed concern about recent research published in the Lancet showing that the first generation of COVID-19 vaccines aren't as effective at protecting against "Delta".
22/6/2021
News.com.auCMO says Brisbane hotel quarantine transmission could be ‘world first'
The country’s chief medical officer said it would appear as though the transmission of Covid-19 throughout a Brisbane hotel could be the first of its kind.
22/6/2021
ABC NewsCalifornia's rapid descent into extreme drought is a climate detective story — and the outcome could be disastrous
The drought in California has rapidly intensified as dry soils soak up snowmelt, leaving dams dry. California suffered record heat last summer.
21/6/2021
ReutersAustralian PM promises more COVID-19 shots to states amid rollout delays
SYDNEY, June 21 (Reuters) - Australian states and territories will get more doses of COVID-19 vaccines soon, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, as authorities look to avoid further delays in an immunisation drive that has hit several roadblocks.
21/6/2021
ABC NewsQueensland authorities trace source of Emirates flight attendant's COVID-19 infection after ruling out Delta variant
A major contact tracing effort is underway to determine how a member of an international flight crew could test positive to COVID-19 just hours after finishing 14 days of mandatory hotel quarantine in Queensland.
21/6/2021
Zero HedgeIran's Only Nuclear Power Plant Undergoes "Emergency Shutdown"
Multiple reports indicate Iran's only nuclear power plant has "undergone a temporary emergency shutdown," according to AP's Jon Gambrell, citing local reports via state television.
18/6/2021
News.com.auScammers target residents in Dandenong Ranges who will be without power for three more weeks
Distraught Victorians are being scammed by fake workers being paid upfront to clear debris caused by a massive storm but never returning to complete the job.
18/6/2021
9 NewsMasks mandatory on Sydney public transport after new COVID-19 case linked to cluster
Masks will be mandatory on public transport in Sydney for the next five days after a new local COVID-19 case was linked to the cluster in the city's east.
18/6/2021
ABC NewsVictorian Covid-19 patient transferred to ICU as condition deteriorates
The condition of one of Victoria’s positive Covid-19 patients has deteriorated as the state emerges from it’s latest local outbreak.
18/6/2021
ReutersStung by pandemic and JBS cyberattack, U.S. ranchers build new beef plants
CHICAGO, June 17 (Reuters) - U.S. cattle ranchers and investors are sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into new beef plants after temporary closures of massive slaughterhouses at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic left farmers with nowhere to send animals destined to be turned into meat.
17/6/2021
ABC NewsUnemployment is back near pre-pandemic levels. A CBA economist says missing foreign workers are one reason why
The monthly labour force data is excluding a vital element of Australia's labour force: foreign workers who've been working in Australia for less than 12 months. He says once you take those "short-term" workers into account, the employment picture changes dramatically. It could help explain why job vacancies are at record highs and why employers are complaining that it's difficult to find workers.
17/6/2021
News.com.auFears new Covid-19 cases could spark restrictions for Sydney
Last time NSW had a locally acquired covid case restrictions were reinstated, with fears two new infections could see rules tightened once more.
17/6/2021
ABC NewsVictoria records no new local cases of COVID-19 with lockdown restrictions set to ease
Victoria has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 as the state prepares for a further easing of lockdown restrictions. Health authorities are trying to contain a cluster of cases that emerged at an apartment complex in Southbank, which had grown to eight cases by Wednesday.
16/6/2021
ABC NewsMelbourne communities urged not to drink tap water potentially contaminated after storms
Yarra Valley Water says boiling the water may not remove all contaminants Residents should take care to not ingest water when showering or bathing The water directive is likely to be in place for three days while testing takes place.
16/6/2021
CNNIsraeli military launches airstrikes in Gaza in response to incendiary balloons launched from the coastal enclave
The Israeli military struck targets in Gaza overnight Wednesday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement, citing incendiary balloons launched from Gaza earlier in the day. According to reports in Israeli media, incendiary balloons launched from Gaza sparked multiple fires in southern Israel.
16/6/2021
Zero HedgeUS Indo-Pacific Commander Requests More Spending To Contain China
Facing the Chinese communist regime’s increasing aggression in the Asia-pacific region, the newly appointed Indo-Pacific Commander John Aquilino has recently requested an additional $890 million in spending from Congress to strengthen military equipment in Guam, Alaska, and Hawaii for possible military confrontations.
16/6/2021
SBS NewsVictoria records three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, all linked to known outbreaks
Victoria has recorded three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases overnight, as authorities plan to further ease restrictions. The Health Department confirmed five new local COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, two of which had already been announced.
15/6/2021
News.com.auVictoria records zero new locally acquired Covid-19 cases
Victoria has recorded zero new locally acquired cases in a promising sign restrictions will be eased again this week.
15/6/2021
Sky News'These are uncertain times' as Taiwan issues Australia warning of Beijing 'grey zone' war
Executive Director of the IPA John Roskam says Australians need to be made "aware" of stark warnings from the Taiwanese foreign minister about Beijing's "grey zone war" sending in armed fishing boats into Australian waters.
15/6/2021
BBC NewsNato warns of military challenge posed by China
Nato leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels have warned of the military threat posed by China, saying its behaviour is a "systemic challenge". China, they said, was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, was "opaque" about its military modernisation and was co-operating militarily with Russia.
15/6/2021
SBS NewsNovavax says its COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 per cent effective
Novavax says late-stage data from its US-based clinical trial shows its vaccine is more than 90 per cent effective against COVID-19.
14/6/2021
Zero HedgeAstraZeneca's COVID Jab Should Be Halted For People Over 60: EMA
On Friday, the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) safety committee identified another rare blood condition after people taking AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine and said it was examining cases of heart inflammation after inoculation. By Sunday, the head of the EMA health threats said people over 60 should avoid the Astrazeneca vaccine, according to Reuters.
14/6/2021
Zero Hedge/p>CDC To Hold "Emergency Meeting" After 100s Suffer Heart Inflammation Following COVID Vaccines
The new details about myocarditis and pericarditis emerged first in presentations to a panel of independent advisers for the Food and Drug Administration, who are meeting Thursday to discuss how the regulator should approach emergency use authorization for using COVID-19 vaccines in younger children.
10/6/2021
News.com.auEvacuation order for Victorians living in Traralgon Creek area due to flooding
People living near a Victorian creek have been told to evacuate immediately as floodwaters rise rapidly.
10/6/2021
News.com.auQld outbreak grows after case travelled from Melbourne
Queensland has recorded two Covid-19 cases after a Melbourne couple breached lockdown, putting three states on high alert.
10/6/2021
ABC NewsShipping cost surge raises retail price pressures and inflation risks
Soaring demand for physical goods has increased congestion and delays at the world's ports and pushed up shipping costs. The price of products like canned food, shoes, clothes, and computers could increase if retailers start to pass on the higher freight and input costs. The cost of shipping a 40 foot container from Shanghai to Sydney on the spot market has doubled.
10/6/2021
ABC NewsMother and son rescued, major power outages as wild weather batters Victoria
More than 200,000 homes and business suffered power outages and thousands remain without electricity. The State Emergency Services has received more than 3,600 calls for help. A mother and son were injured by a tree which fell on their house at Olinda, in the Dandenong Ranges.
9/6/2021
Zero HedgeOne Bank Goes Apocalyptic: Inflation Is About To Explode "Leaving Global Economies Sitting On A Time Bomb"
As excerpted from "Inflation: The defining macro story of this decade" a must-read report written by Deutsche Bank's global head of research, David Folkerts-Landau, co-authored by Peter Hooper and Jim Reid.
9/6/2021
News.com.auQantas delays start to international travel as national vaccine rollout time frame slips
Australia’s biggest airline has flagged yet another delay to the highly-anticipated restart of international travel.
9/6/2021
Al JazeeraPfizer to expand tests of COVID-19 vaccine in children below 12
New study to enroll thousands of children below 12 years at dozens of sites across the US, Finland, Poland and Spain.
8/6/2021
ABC NewsRecord national winter crop sown, but mouse plague could take drastic toll in NSW
A record 23.2 million hectares of winter crops have been sown. The yield is forecast to be lower than 2020-2021, but still higher than average. NSW farmers fear the mouse plague will devastate their harvest.
8/6/2021
South China Morning PostSouth China Sea: US military gives tacit backing to Malaysia’s claim 16 Chinese planes neared airspace
A Chinese military source had said only two planes were involved in last week’s incident, but a US Pacific Air Forces spokesman disputed that account. The ‘intrusion’ has sparked concerns that China seeks to test other claimant countries’ reactions – though some see a possible nod to international law.
8/6/2021
News.com.auTwo new Covid-19 cases as Melbourne’s lockdown set to end this week
Despite a rise in cases, government insiders believe Melbourne’s lockdown will end as planned.
4/6/2021
Al JazeeraGlobal food prices surge again, stoking inflation fears
Concerns are growing over surging food prices, which climbed for the 12th month straight in May, according to a United Nations gauge.
4/6/2021
News.com.auSydney veterinarian warns of infectious and deadly leptospirosis in Collaroy
A Sydney veterinarian has reported a case of a dangerous and infectious disease that can be fatal for dogs, warning pet owners to be vigilant with vaccinations.
4/6/2021
ReutersIMF and World Bank urge G7 to release surplus vaccines
The heads of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank on Thursday urged the Group of Seven advanced economies to release any excess COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries as soon as possible, and called on manufacturers to ramp up production.
3/6/2021
Zero HedgeChina's "Artificial Sun" Sets World Record Running At 120 Million Degrees For 101 Seconds
China’s goal is to develop clean energy sources through next-generation nuclear fusion technology.
3/6/2021
ABC NewsAudit finds WA remote communities exposed to E Coli, uranium in water supply
The report found safe water delivery has improved in WA since 2015. But contaminants were still found in 37 regional communities. The Department is supplying bottled water to 24 areas.
3/6/2021
ABC NewsLocal production of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines could take up to four years, government says
mRNA technology is used in the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, both of which need to be imported. The federal government is exploring Australia's capacity to produce mRNA vaccines locally. Officials say it could be up to four years away, depending on the chosen site.
3/6/2021
Sky NewsPM announces COVID payments for lockdowns over seven days
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has introduced the temporary COVID disaster payment for circumstances where there are lockdowns imposed by states that are longer than seven days and are deemed hotspots. “So the first seven days, they are matters entirely for state and territory governments, as they wish to provide support,” Mr Morrison said.
2/6/2021
9 NewsLockdown extended in Melbourne for seven days, restrictions ease in regional Victoria
Melbourne's lockdown has been extended for a further seven days, but stay-at-home measures will lift in regional Victoria.
2/6/2021
7 NewsJWA COVID scare as Allegra ship crew member and man in hotel quarantine test positive
Health authorities in Western Australia are on high alert after two major COVID scares on Tuesday.
2/6/2021
ABC NewsMelbourne COVID-19 case travels to NSW South Coast and Goulburn for camping trip
Health authorities say a confirmed COVID-19 case from Melbourne travelled to several areas of NSW while potentially infectious, including Jervis Bay on the south coast and Goulburn in the southern tablelands.
2/6/2021
Zero HedgeJBS Shutters All US Meat Plants As Cyber Attack Jeopardizes Food Supply
Update (2002 ET): The USDA has released an important update about the Biden administration's steps to mitigate potential supply constraints and price surges following JBS' ransomware attack.
2/6/2021
ReutersU.S. says ransomware attack on meatpacker JBS likely from Russia
Brazil’s JBS SA told the U.S. government that a ransomware attack on the company that has disrupted meat production in North America and Australia originated from a criminal organization likely based in Russia, the White House said on Tuesday.
1/6/2021
South China Morning PostCambodia’s Ream Naval Base upgrade sparks worries of China link before US diplomat’s visit
A new port and a ship repair facility are likely to have been built just north of where US-funded facilities were demolished last year, a think tank says. US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is visiting the Southeast Asian nation, which counts Beijing as a close ally, as part of an Asean tour.
1/6/2021
South China Morning PostMach 30 wind tunnel to ‘put China decades’ ahead in hypersonic race
Leading researcher reveals new facility capable of simulating flight at 30 times the speed of sound will be ready ‘soon’
1/6/2021
SBS NewsVictoria records three new local COVID-19 cases as list of Melbourne exposure sites grows
The new cases come as pressure grows on the government to introduce greater protections for the aged care system.
1/6/2021
ABC NewsFears napalm-like mouse bait bromadiolone could have 'huge' impact on native species if approved
There are fears Murray cod and native birds could be poisoned by mouse baits. NSW is seeking urgent approval to distribute a poison called bromodiolone to deal with the plague. The regulator wants more detail before it decides whether the poison can be used for the first time since 2016.
1/6/2021
ABC NewsQueensland grazier says it's time to rethink our attitude towards drought
65 per cent of Queensland remains in drought. South-west grazier Kenton Peart says drought is a normal part of life.
1/6/2021
ABC NewsAged Care Services Minister Richard Colbeck says government doesn't have exact figures on how many workers have had COVID vaccines
The government is now asking aged care providers to tell them which staff have had the COVID vaccine. Richard Colbeck says people's occupation is not recorded when they get the jab.
1/6/2021
News.com.auChina’s irate response to Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern’s joint presser
Scott Morrison and Jacinda Ardern appeared to stand together on issues about China yesterday, and Beijing does not like it one bit.
1/6/2021
Zero HedgeIntel CEO Pat Gelsinger Says Semi Shortage Could Last "A Couple Years"
Intel is now going on the record and doubling down on statements that its CEO made on 60 Minutes earlier this year, stating that it could take "several years" for the current supply shortage of semiconductors to be resolved.
31/5/2021
The Gateway PunditThousands of attorneys and doctors have joined forces to sue the CDC, WHO and the Davos Group for crimes against humanity.
1,000 Lawyers and 10,000 Doctors Join Together and File Lawsuit to Prosecute the “2nd Nuremburg Tribunal” Against Corona Fraud Scandal.
31/5/2021
ReutersAustralian farmer counts the cost of mouse plague after drought
Australian farmer Norman Moeris lifts a protective tarpaulin covering his valuable grain harvest on a cool evening - only to reveal a seething mass of rodents.
31/5/2021
ABC NewsMillion-dollar cash prizes and free eggs offered to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations
As winter creeps closer, Australia's top doctor is urging more people to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated against coronavirus.
28/5/2021
ABC NewsCyclone Seroja damage report calls for WA area around Kalbarri to be classified as cyclonic
An area only 250 kilometres north of Perth could be classified as "cyclonic" after Cyclone Seroja tore through part of Western Australia's Mid West, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
28/5/2021
Zero HedgeUS Sitting On 'Raft' Of Unexamined Virus Intel; Former Official Says 'Almost No Evidence' Of Natural Origin
Hours after President Biden promised to release the 'full report' from US Intelligence community's 90-day examination of where COVID-19 originated - unless there's something he's unaware of...
28/5/2021
News.com.auVictorians face phone delays, huge queues in rush to get Covid-19 vaccine
Victorians rushing to get a Covid-19 vaccine are facing frustrating delays over the phone and huge queues at vaccination hubs.
28/5/2021
SBS News'Numbing. Surreal': Businesses in Victoria brace for impact of fourth coronavirus lockdown
Businesses in Victoria say they fear the impact of the fourth and latest lockdown, which will be the first lockdown without any JobKeeper wage subsidy for workers.
28/5/2021
ReutersSouth Asia crosses 30 million COVID-19 cases as India battles second wave
Coronavirus infections in the South Asia region surpassed 30 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally of official data, led by India which is struggling with a second COVID-19 wave and a vaccine shortage across the region.
27/5/2021
Zero HedgeGlobal Chip Hub Taiwan Hammered By Triple Blow Of Drought, Blackouts And COVID Surge
After the two massive power outages, Taiwan endured another small-scale power suspension in Taipei City on Friday and experienced temporary power generator malfunctions at two separate coal-fired power plants on Sunday and Monday respectively. Maintaining production is crucial at a time of global chip shortage, with political tensions and pandemic-induced lockdowns affecting supply chains and remote working increasing demand for electronic devices.
27/5/2021
News.com.auMelbourne residents report fleeing state ahead of feared lockdown
Melbourne residents have reported fleeing the state as Victoria braces for a likely fourth lockdown amid a growing Covid-19 outbreak.
27/5/2021
ABC NewsQueensland government responds to failure at coal-fired Callide power station by turning to battery power
About 80 per cent of Queensland's energy comes from coal-fired power stations. The state government is connecting the state's largest battery to the power transmission network. The Lowy Institute's annual climate poll shows 63 per cent supported a ban on new coal mines opening in Australia.
27/5/2021
ABC NewsVictoria to enter a COVID-19 lockdown as cases from Melbourne outbreak grow
China has imposed tariffs on a number of Australian products in the past year, but few expect it to do that with iron ore. According to global financial services firm UBS, China buys about 70 per cent of the iron ore Australia exports, which in turn makes up about 60 per cent of all the iron ore China imports. Any cuts to Australia's iron exports would have a significant impact on the economy and government budgets.
27/5/2021
ABC NewsRecord iron ore prices boost Australia's economy, but will the China trade war end the boom?
China has imposed tariffs on a number of Australian products in the past year, but few expect it to do that with iron ore. According to global financial services firm UBS, China buys about 70 per cent of the iron ore Australia exports, which in turn makes up about 60 per cent of all the iron ore China imports. Any cuts to Australia's iron exports would have a significant impact on the economy and government budgets.
26/5/2021
Murray Watt - Senator for QueenslandMoney for the govt, not disaster victims
Have you heard the one about the Government’s $4 billion disaster fund that’s earned more interest for the Government than it’s helped disaster victims? Watch Amanda Stoker try to explain it. They love an announcement, but they never deliver.
26/5/2021
ABC NewsQueensland blackout to be investigated after fire at Callide Power Station cuts power to large parts of the state
CS Energy's power stations at Callide, Kogan and Gladstone deliver about 30 per cent of Queensland's electricity. The outage at the Callide station had a domino effect, tripping other plants in the network. Energex spokesman Danny Donald says he has not seen such a bad blackout in his 15 years in the industry.
26/5/2021
ABC NewsMelbourne COVID-19 outbreak grows as Victoria records six new local cases
Victoria has recorded another six local COVID-19 cases, bringing the cluster in Melbourne's north to 15.
26/5/2021
Zero HedgeIran Kicks Off Large-Scale Electronic Warfare And Air Defense Exercise
On May 25th, the Iranian Army kicked off a large-scale military drill to practice electronic warfare tactics, this drill on electronic warfare is dubbed ‘Separ-e-Aseman 1400’ (Sky Shield 1400).
26/5/2021
ABC NewsConfirmed COVID-19 case attended Collingwood-Port Adelaide match at the MCG
Victoria has recorded nine cases in the current coronavirus cluster. One of those cases attended the MCG for the AFL match between Collingwood and Port Adelaide. A crowd of 23,415 people attended the match, won by Port Adelaide.
26/5/2021
Sky NewsGovernment withholding vaccine dose information: Independent senator
A prominent independent senator has claimed the federal government is deliberately keeping people in the dark over the national vaccine supply. Senator Rex Patrick is on the Senate’s COVID Committee and believes the government is deliberately putting off boosting the ad campaign to encourage people to get the jab because there are so many questions about how many vaccines are available.
26/5/2021
News.com.auChina’s warning could wipe $32 billion from Australian economy
China has warned Australia it is in for economic “pain” in the near future — saying plans to hit our highest export are already taking effect and could wipe billions from our economy. According to CommSec, iron ore prices are down sharply again this morning, dropping US$11.85 a tonne or 5.9 per cent to US$188.25 a tonne — after hitting a record high of more than $US230 a tonne earlier this month.
25/5/2021
ABC NewsQueensland scientists develop peptide-based drugs that could reduce severity of COVID-19
Queensland scientists have developed two new drugs that could prevent COVID-19 infection and stop further spread of the virus in patients who have already contracted it.
25/5/2021
ABC NewsHope for wallabies so endangered they were thought to be extinct
Bridled nailtail wallabies are regularly preyed upon by feral cats and foxes when they are juveniles. UNSW scientists have taken young wallabies and raised them in a protected shelter before releasing them, which saw an 89 per cent success rate.
25/5/2021
ABC NewsMelbourne COVID-19 restrictions return as cluster grows in northern suburbs
A new case identified this morning is being treated as a potential source case for the cluster in Melbourne's north. Masks will be mandatory indoors in Melbourne from 6:00pm Tuesday and limits on gatherings will be introduced.
25/5/2021
Sky NewsThe era of the Americans dominating the world 'has just about gone'
The era when Australia could always know the Americans were going to dominate the world is just about gone, according to Liberal senator Jim Molan. "We have got the best defence force at the moment that I've seen in 50 years exposure to the defence force," he told Sky News host Paul Murray. "But it all belongs to another era. It belongs to that era when the Australian Defence Force could always know that the Americans were going to dominate the world - now that period has just about gone.
25/5/2021
Sky News‘Destructive’ Hawkesbury flood likely within four years
The next Hawkesbury flood is likely within the next four years with “every chance” it will be higher and more destructive than it was in March. NSW experienced its third wettest week on record in early 2021 – averaging a state-wide rainfall average of 102 millimetres.
21/5/2021
Zero HedgeSurvey Shows Half Of Non-Mask Wearers Will "Definitely Not" Consent To Being Vaccinated
This looks like bad news for the CDC and the Biden Administration, which are desperate to entice more Americans to get vaccinated before international pressure forces the president to give away the entire US stock of vaccines (Biden announced yesterday that the US would send 20MM doses of vaccine that are authorized for emergency use in the US abroad for the first time as pressure from the international community grows).
21/5/2021
9 NewsVax and scratch: New York offers $6.4m lottery for newly vaccinated
Anyone who gets vaccinated at select state-run vaccination sites in New York next week will receive a lottery scratch ticket with prizes potentially worth millions, as Governor Andrew Cuomo tries to boost slowing vaccination rates.
21/5/2021
News.com.auPeter Dutton says transparency on COVID vaccine blood clot cases is important, but risk is very low
Peter Dutton says it is important the government is transparent about cases of rare blood clots associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, while urging people to keep the figures in perspective.
21/5/2021
News.com.auCommonwealth Bank has bumped up its three and four year fixed rates on home loans
Ultra-low home loans could be on the way out, with the nation’s biggest lender hiking rates for the second time.
21/5/2021
ABC News
Sydney news: Mice-killing chemical rollout, investigation into baby death in Oran Park
Twenty towns in NSW will host grain treatment sites to distribute the poison bromadioline to farmers affected by the mouse plague.
21/5/2021
9 News
Smishing: The new scam fleecing Aussie victims of thousands
Australians are being inundated by a new form of scam whereby victims are sent text messages asking for them to share personal details which are then on-sold.
21/5/2021
9 News
Six new blood clotting cases linked to AstraZeneca vaccine, including SA man in ICU and 18-year-old in Queensland
A South Australian in a "very serious" condition in hospital is among six new cases of a rare but serious blood clotting condition likely linked to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab.
20/5/2021
Zero Hedge
Chip Shortage Enters "Danger Zone" As Lead Times Reach New Record
Semiconductor lead times, the time it takes for a company to order a chip and taking delivery, increased to 17 weeks in April, indicating shortages of these critical components are intensifying, according to Bloomberg.
20/5/2021
Sky News
Mouse plague to hit Sydney by August
A destructive mouse plague is closing in on Sydney with experts predicting rodents could begin invading homes by August.
20/5/2021
Sky News
Australians' COVID-19 vaccine reticence might be due to 'complacency'
RACGP President Dr Karen Price says complacency due to Australia’s success in handling the pandemic is one possible reason why some members of the Australian public are reticent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
20/5/2021
News.com.au
Australian retail icons risk a Debenhams style ‘failure’
A catastrophic retail failure similar to the closure of Debenhams in the UK is a possibility in Australia, an expert has warned.
20/5/2021
ABC News
Does Argentina's beef exports freeze open fresh opportunity in China for Australian producers?
The Argentine government wants to lower domestic beef prices with a 30-day export ban. Argentina exported about 750,000 tonnes of beef last year, mostly to China. Australian exporters have diversified export markets due to trade tensions with China.
20/5/2021
ABC News
Sunshine Coast farmer putting pot plants in freezer to grow raspberries in winter
Piñata Farms managing director Gavin Scurr says they have been growing raspberries for five years. Mr Scurr says they use long-cane production to trick the plant about the weather. Raspberries are becoming more popular with Australian consumers.
19/5/2021
Zero Hedge
China Furious As Japan Refuses To Address Its Radioactive Fukushima Water Dumping Concerns
Angry that Japan has yet to respond directly to the concerns of the international community, China again urged Japan on Monday to face up to its responsibility and refrain from "wantonly" disposing the radioactive, polluted Fukushima water before reaching consensus with all stakeholders and international agencies through consultations.
19/5/2021
News.com.au
Sobering graph exposes Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout failure
While Australia has been lauded for its response to COVID-19, a sobering graph has exposed just how far behind the nation is in one key battleground.
19/5/2021
South China Morning Post
US exports to China grow at ‘expense’ of Australia after Beijing’s trade ban
Following Beijing’s ban on a range of Australian products, the US has been steadily ‘backfilling’ the void left by its ally. Political observers say the US will prioritise its own economic needs ahead of its allies, including Australia, despite close ties
19/5/2021
SBS News
UN says more than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes as conflict enters ninth day
The UN aid agency says more than 52,000 Palestinians have been displaced by Israeli airstrikes that destroyed or damaged nearly 450 buildings in Gaza.
19/5/2021
ABC News
Yellow crazy ant eradication plan puts paws in the paddock as Far North Queensland fight ramps up
Yellow crazy ants can quickly create super-colonies because they are not aggressive towards their own species. The Wet Tropics Management Authority says efforts to eradicate them from Far North Queensland are working. A detection dog is helping locate the remaining pockets of infestation in the far north.
19/5/2021
ABC News
Argentina bans beef exports for 30 days in effort to reduce domestic prices
The Argentinian government is attempting to lower local beef prices with 30-day export ban. One analyst believes ban will put a lot of pressure on China. Argentina exported about 750,000 metric tonnes of beef in 2020, the bulk of which went to China.
19/5/2021
ABC News
Epidemiologists explain how a COVID case flew undetected from India to Howard Springs
A new coronavirus case in international quarantine in Darwin this week shows the virus is still able to overcome hurdles designed to keep COVID-19 out of the country.
18/5/2021
News Corp
UN agencies call for urgent action to avert famine risk in 20 ‘hunger hotspots’
Famine is already on the doorstep of millions of families in 20 countries, two UN agencies warned on Tuesday in a report that calls for urgent action to avert rising hunger due to factors such as conflict, climate extremes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
18/5/2021
Bloomberg
The World Economy Is Suddenly Running Low on Everything
‘It is anything but efficient or normal.’ Surging corporate demand is upending global supply chains.
18/5/2021
SBS News
US to send 20 million vaccine doses abroad
US President Joe Biden says the US will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks.
18/5/2021
The Straits Times
EU reviews reports of rare nerve disorder after AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shot
BRUSSELS (REUTERS) - Europe's medicines regulator is reviewing reports of a rare nerve-degenerating disorder in people who received AstraZeneca's Covid-19 shots, raising fresh questions about potential side effects of the vaccine.
18/5/2021
The Straits Times
Coronavirus: UK regulator says some evidence AstraZeneca clots occur more in women than men
LONDON (REUTERS) - Britain's medicine regulator on Thursday (May 6) said there was some evidence that uncommon blood clots linked to AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine occurred more in women than in men, adding that the difference in incidence was small.
18/5/2021
7 News
Brisbane teen reportedly develops blood clots after AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
An 18-year-old Brisbane woman who claims to have developed blood clots after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine would be the youngest such case in Australia.
17/5/2021
Zero Hedge
Following The 'Science'? CDC Shifts From "Impending Doom" To 'You're Free' In 6 Weeks
At the end of March, amid absolutely no signs of trouble whatsover in "the data" - and after the establishment excoriated the "neanderthal thinking" of several red states for 'prematurely' and 'recklessly' lifting their COVID restrictions, freshly-appointed CDC Director Rochelle Walensky went "off-script" (though if one watches here eyes it appears she is very much reading a script) to warn the public about her "impending doom" following a very modest rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations.
17/5/2021
ABC News
Australian Open could be forced offshore due to coronavirus border closure
The Australian Open could be forced offshore due to the federal government's budget prediction international borders will stay closed until mid-2022.
17/5/2021
SBS News
Australians over 50 can now get vaccinated for COVID-19 at their GP
Australia's vaccination rollout has entered a new stage, with people aged over 50 able to get the AstraZeneca shot from their family doctor.
17/5/2021
9 News
Government's $2b plan to secure Australia's future fuel supply
The Federal Government has announced a $2 billion plan to lock in Australia's supply of fuel in the years to come.
17/5/2021
9 News
Millions must get COVID jab before borders can open, NSW Premier says
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said about five million people in the state need to be fully vaccinated before borders open.
13/5/2021
News.com.au
Zero cases: The COVID-19 statistic Australia has to wean itself off
Zero cases is the daily statistic all Australians long to hear of, while one case sends us into panic. It’s a strange reaction and it has to stop.
13/5/2021
South China Morning Post
As West races back to travel, ‘zero-Covid’ economies like Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia face hermit risk
In a world where Covid-19 becomes endemic, economies reliant on sealed borders to keep the virus at bay will have painted themselves into a corner, experts say. Places pursuing herd immunity, such as the United States and Europe, are already opening up. If Asian economies want to do the same, they too may need to learn to live with the virus.
13/5/2021
Business Insider
Australia will receive 25 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, marking a surprise boost to the nation's lagging rollout
American biotechnology firm Moderna says it will supply Australia with 25 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, with the first batch to be delivered this year. It is hoped the doses will bolster Australia’s vaccine rollout scheme, which has been hamstrung by supply chain issues and shifting health advice.
13/5/2021
ABC News
COVID-19 warnings were ignored, independent review of global response finds
The independent panel of experts found the global response to COVID-19 had "weak links at every point in the chain". It called for bold reforms of the World Health Organization and national preparedness plans to avoid another "toxic cocktail".
13/5/2021
ABC News
Fuel shortage in US enters sixth day with long queues, fistfights and rising tensions
The shortage occurred after a ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline last week halted millions of barrels per day of fuel shipments. The supply crunch sparked panic buying in the US south-east, bringing long lines and high prices.
13/5/2021
ABC News
BOM explains why Brisbane and south-east Queensland has had storms with hail in May
The quick succession of recent storms is unusual for May, the BOM says. AgForce says the storms have delivered welcome rain and a boost to winter crops in some areas.
12/5/2021
ABC News
Storms hit southern Queensland bringing hail, spectacular lightning and heavy rain
Hail hits communities west of Brisbane in short, sharp bursts. 92mm of rain fell at Mt Mowbullan, 60mm at Forest Hill and 50mm at Wynnum. More storms forecast for the south-east today, before troughs move offshore.
12/5/2021
ABC News
Demand for Australian-made products soars as consumer attitudes change during pandemic
Alice Springs retailer says there's been a 50 per cent increase in sales of iconic Australian brands in the past year. More companies are applying to the Australian Made campaign to use its iconic green and yellow logo. Australian Made chief says since the pandemic consumers are searching for locally manufactured products.
12/5/2021
Reuters
Pipeline outage causes U.S. gasoline supply crunch, panic buying
Gas stations from Florida to Virginia began running dry and prices at the pump rose on Tuesday, as the shutdown of the biggest U.S. fuel pipeline by hackers extended into a fifth day and sparked panic buying by motorists.
12/5/2021
SBS News
Hamas rockets target Tel Aviv after Israeli raid flattens Gaza tower as tensions escalate
Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Israel's economic hub Tel Aviv on Tuesday in retaliation for an Israeli strike that destroyed a 12-storey building in Gaza, as the foes traded their heaviest fire for several years.
12/5/2021
CNN
Voyager spacecraft detects 'persistent hum' beyond our solar system
NASA's Voyager 1 launched on September 5 1977, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a Titan-Centaur rocket, just weeks after its sister craft, Voyager 2. Although they were initially designed to last five years, more than 43 years after they launched, the crafts are still sending back data as they explore interstellar space.
11/5/2021
ABC
Where has all this extra budget cash come from? China, actually.
Despite an almost complete breakdown in relations between Australia and China that has manifested in an escalating trade war, the Middle Kingdom is delivering a large chunk of the windfall gains for tonight's federal budget.
11/5/2021
CNN
India's Covid-19 catastrophe could make global shortages even worse
A terrifying and record-breaking wave of Covid-19 in India threatens to stall the country's economic recovery and send shockwaves through several important global industries.
11/5/2021
News.com.au
Brazil pilot survives 36 days in Amazon jungle after crash
A pilot who miraculously survived a plane crash and then spent 36 days lost in the harsh Amazon jungle has told how he refused to give up despite the odds against his survival.
11/5/2021
Zero Hedge
US Ship Fires 30 Warning Shots After 13 Iranian IRGC Boats Approach Fleet
A rare direct 'live fire' encounter took place Monday in the Strait of Hormuz between Iranian fast-attack boats and US naval warships. The Iranian vessels came dangerously close to multiple US ships during the incident in the vital waterway off Iran's coast. The IRGC fast boats departed only after some 30 warning shots were fired by a US Coast Guard vessel that had been escorting the naval group, which included up to six US Navy vessels and the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia.
11/5/2021
BBC
India Covid: Dozens of bodies wash up on banks of Ganges river
Some local residents and journalists told BBC Hindi a shortage of wood for cremations and the rising costs associated with funerals were leaving some families with no option but to put the bodies of loved ones who had died from coronavirus directly into the river.
11/5/2021
ABC News
In the midst of the COVID pandemic, India is battling a surge of mucormycosis, or 'black fungus'
Mucormycosis is an infection caused by fungi found in the soil. People who have had severe COVID are given drugs to dampen their immune response, which makes them more at risk . Those with a compromised immune system or diabetes are also at risk.
11/5/2021
ABC News
BOM says overnight storm in Brisbane, south-east Queensland 'a sign of things to come'
A quick moving storm swept through south-east Queensland overnight, generating a spectacular thunder-and-lightning show with some strikes causing damage to the electricity network.
10/5/2021
Zero Hedge
Chinese Military Discussed Weaponizing COVID In 2015 'To Cause Enemy's Medical System To Collapse'
In 2015, Chinese military scientists discussed how to weaponze SARS coronaviruses, five years before the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in Wuhan, China - where CCP scientists were collaborating with a US-funded NGO on so-called 'gain of function' research to make bat coronaviruses infect humans more easily.
10/5/2021
ABC News
ASX climbs as US stocks hit fresh records on bad jobs data
The Australian share market has opened the week solidly higher after Wall Street hit fresh records on Friday amid disappointing jobs data.
10/5/2021
The Sydney Morning Herald
One million people in NSW able to register for Pfizer vaccine
One million people aged 40 to 49 in NSW are able to register their interest from Monday to receive their first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine “within weeks”.
10/5/2021
The Sydney Morning Herald
Budget plan: Australia to open borders next year to bring back migrants
Australia will open its borders next year in a budget plan to bring back migrants and speed up the economic recovery, amid federal government fears that growth cannot be sustained if travellers are kept away and citizens kept at home.
7/5/2021
ABC News
Workers not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 allowed to remain in quarantine hotels despite ban
Hotel quarantine workers who have not had their second COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed to continue working on WA's "frontline", despite a ban on unvaccinated workers from Monday.
7/5/2021
News.com.au
NSW COVID-19 numbers ‘pleasing’, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says
An 11am update will reveal whether Sydney’s outbreak has spread further – but the NSW Premier has already hinted it could be good news.
7/5/2021
Reuters
Pleas for help in India as COVID-19 leaves children without carers
When an Indian children's rights group tracked down two boys aged 6 and 8 after it was told that their parents were both severely ill with COVID-19 and unable to care for them, the children had not eaten for days.
7/5/2021
ZeroHedge
Atlas Is Shrugging: Forget 'The Great Reset', Here Comes 'The Great Reject'
It occurred to me that I never did finish the final instalment of last summer’s Jackpot Chronicles, wherein I posited four possible post-Covid scenarios.
6/5/2021
South China Morning Post
Britain sends in navy ships over fears of French blockade in post-Brexit fishing dispute
PM Boris Johnson says move is a precaution and calls for de-escalation as tensions mount in row over Channel Islands access for French boats. France had earlier threatened to cut off electricity to the area after Britain imposed new licence rules.
6/5/2021
South China Morning Post
Canada approves Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15
The shot was previously authorised for anyone 16 or older. The announcement comes a month after Pfizer found that its jab also provided protection for the younger group.
6/5/2021
ZeroHedge
COVID Has Triggered The Next Great Financial Crisis
What's left are the 'fatal synergies' of soaring debt and leverage, diminishing returns on stimulus, the substitution of credit for savings and the coming deflationary tsunami that pops all the speculative bubbles.
6/5/2021
Business Insider
Biden administration supports waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines - a big step in making vaccines more accessible to developing nations
The Biden administration will support waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai made the announcement on Wednesday. The aim “is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible,” Tai said.
6/5/2021
ABC News
Next two weeks critical to preventing a COVID-19 outbreak in NSW
"Within two weeks, we'll know if the virus' spread is growing or not," said Professor Raina MacIntyre, an expert in global biosecurity and infectious disease from the University of NSW. "It is worrying because it's unknown where this man acquired this infection. Who did they get infected from? That's the real question of interest."
6/5/2021
ABC News
Government may use Howard Springs COVID facility exclusively to quarantine Australians returning from India
The government is considering using Howard Springs to only quarantine Indian returned travellers, as a way to expedite getting people out of the country when the travel ban ends.
5/5/2021
ABC News
New COVID-19 case identified in NSW, venue alerts in Sydney's eastern suburbs
Health authorities are hoping genomic sequencing will reveal the source of the infection. The man had a high viral load which potentially makes him more infections. Anyone who has received a dose of the vaccine must still be tested.
5/5/2021
CNN
Pentagon tracking out-of-control Chinese rocket that could reenter Earth's atmosphere
The Pentagon has said it is tracking a large Chinese rocket that is out of control and set to reenter Earth's atmosphere this weekend, raising concerns about where its debris may make impact.
5/5/2021
BBC
Covid cases at Everest base camp raise fears of serious outbreak
Base camp officials said they had received reports of 17 confirmed cases from hospitals in the capital Kathmandu, where a number of climbers have been sent from the base camp and higher camps to be treated. And staff at a private hospital in Kathmandu, the CIWEC clinic, confirmed to the BBC that patients had tested positive for coronavirus after arriving from Everest base camp.
5/5/2021
South China Morning Post
Leak of Australian commander’s China comments fuels further talk of war
Major General Adam Findlay told special forces troops in a private briefing last April to prepare for possibility of conflict with China, newspaper reports. The rhetoric over Taiwan has divided analysts with one calling such talk irresponsible and another saying it’s a wake up call for Australian security.
5/5/2021
South China Morning Post
Singapore imposes 21-day quarantine on most travellers, closes gyms to manage flare-up in Covid-19 cases
The country will also return to social distancing rules of last year, with only five people in social gatherings and 50 per cent of staff in the workplace allowed by authorities. The government says it hopes not to institute another ‘circuit breaker’ or partial lockdown but is acting now to avoid more drastic measures later.
5/5/2021
ABC News
After a near-record wet March in the south-east, we've just had a near-record dry April
South-east Australia has experienced a near-record dry April. The dry April followed a near-record wet March in south-east Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology predicts a wetter-than-average winter south of the tropics.
5/5/2021
ABC News
Rain and storm lashes southern Queensland with more forecast through the day
A line of storms stretching from Nanango to south of the border is moving slowly across south-east Queensland, after late-night storms swept across Boonah and Logan. Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster James Thompson said overnight storm activity was severe.
4/5/2021
SBS News
EU considers allowing fully vaccinated tourists to visit the bloc without restrictions
The EU is considering letting vaccinated foreigners from countries keeping the virus at bay to travel into the bloc without restrictions.
4/5/2021
9 News
Australia's 'red hot' economic recovery explained: How we avoided the financial woes of COVID-19
Australia is enjoying a "red hot recovery" in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic with jobs, iron ore prices and retail recovery all filling the nation's coffers. New research by Deloitte Access Economics labelled Australia's financial return from the depths of the pandemic "red hot", forecasting a bumper budget to be handed down on May 11.
4/5/2021
Sky News
New data indicates one dose may offer full protection for recovered COVID patients
Recent data has indicated just one shot of a COVID-19 vaccine may be needed for full protection in patients who have already been exposed to the coronavirus, according to Australian Medical Journal Editor Professor Nick Talley.
4/5/2021
Sky News
‘Risk reduction’ has occurred at the expense of ‘duty to Aussie citizens in India’
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says he understands why health officials want to reduce the coronavirus risk to zero but fears pandemic measures are being prioritised above “brotherly love for other Australians”.
4/5/2021
Sky News
PM says Australia will 'stand its ground' amid tensions with China
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has defended his government's strong stance on China and says he is committed to protecting Australia's sovereign interests.
4/5/2021
ABC News
Chinese social media blows up over official Communist Party post mocking India's COVID-19 catastrophe
Tensions between China and India — the world's two most populous nations — have escalated over the past year, particularly in light of a border dispute in the Himalayas and amid upsurges in domestic nationalist sentiment.
4/5/2021
SBS News
Arrests made as Germany shuts down one of the world's largest child porn platforms
German police have uncovered one of the world's largest underground websites for child pornography with more than 400,000 users.
3/5/2021
Zero Hedge
You Know It's Bad When... CNN Calls Out Biden Over Anti-Science Mask Use
President Biden is coming under fire from both sides of the aisle for constantly wearing a mask despite announcing that vaccinated people no longer require face coverings when outdoors. In other words, it's simply virtue signaling at this point.
3/5/2021
Zero Hedge
"The Costs Are Up, Up, Up. We're Seeing Substantial Inflation" Admits A Surprised Warren Buffett As Powell, Yellen See Nothing
We already touched on two of the more colorful exchanges from Saturday's Berkshire annual videoconference, both of which incidentally starred the traditionally far more outspoken Charlie Munger, who first crushed a generation's monetary dreams saying that today's Millennials will have "a hell of a time getting rich compared to our generation", and then infuriated tens of millions of cryptofans and diamond hands (such as Dan Loeb) when he said that "the whole damn development" of crytpocurrencies "is disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization."
3/5/2021
Reuters
New Zealand's Ardern says differences with China becoming harder to reconcile
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday that differences between New Zealand and China are becoming harder to reconcile as Beijing's role in the world grows and changes.
3/5/2021
ABC News
House price gains slow, but not by much, CoreLogic figures show
House price gains have eased off, but are still around six times the historical average monthly rate of growth, according to CoreLogic.
3/5/2021
9 News
North Korea warns US of 'very grave situation' over Biden speech
North Korea on Sunday warned the United States will face "a very grave situation" because President Joe Biden "made a big blunder" in his recent speech by calling the North a security threat and revealing his intent to maintain a hostile policy against it.
3/5/2021
9 News
Western Australia avoids second lockdown as state records no new cases overnight
Western Australians have avoided what would be their second COVID-19 lockdown in a fortnight for another day, Premier Mark McGowan has announced, with no new community cases detected today.
3/5/2021
9 News
India COVID-19 cases drop as capital records highest deaths
With Indian hospitals struggling to secure a steady supply of oxygen, and more COVID-19 patients dying amid the shortages, a court in New Delhi said it would start punishing government officials for failing to deliver the life-saving items.
3/5/2021
9 News
Next stage of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins
Australians aged over 50 will today begin rolling up their sleeves to get their COVID-19 vaccines as the next stage of the country's program begins.
3/5/2021
South China Morning Post
China’s global plan to vaccinate its citizens faces production problems
China’s drive to vaccinate its population with home-made Covid-19 jabs is not confined to its own borders, but has a unique twist in being extended to millions of citizens living in as many as 30 countries around the world.
30/4/2021
9 News
Man tests positive for COVID-19 after unwittingly entering green zone at Brisbane airport
One of two men who unwittingly entered the green zone at Brisbane International Airport yesterday has tested positive for COVID-19, potentially exposing hundreds of passengers.
30/4/2021
7 News
JobSeeker rise has done little to help Australians into the worsening rental market
The tiny increase in the dole payment has done little to help people into the home rental market, where affordability is becoming worse as the housing market, and the economy more broadly, rebounds from recession.
30/4/2021
South China Morning Post
A message for US and China as India and Russia put two and two together
The decision by India and Russia to hold a “two-plus-two” meeting of their foreign and defence ministers is meant not only to clear up misunderstandings in their bilateral relationship, but to send a signal to both the United States and China, experts have said.
30/4/2021
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: quarantine for hundreds after Hong Kong records first untraceable local case involving Covid-19 mutated strain, health officials warn of ‘grim situation’
Hundreds of occupants of a 52-storey residential block in Tung Chung have been ordered into quarantine in Hong Kong’s biggest such operation after one of them was confirmed to have contracted a mutated strain of Covid-19 from an unknown source locally for the first time in the city.
30/4/2021
Reuters
Exclusive: Pfizer begins exporting U.S.-made COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico
Pfizer Inc’s shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico this week includes doses made in its U.S. plant, the first of what are expected to be ongoing exports of its shots from the United States, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
30/4/2021
Zero Hedge
Stranded In India, Expats Scramble To Escape India's COVID Horror Using Private Jet Loophole
On Saturday, we noted how India's super-wealthy have been in a panic to flee the country's exploding COVID-19 crisis - taking private jets to London before the UK adds their country to its "red list" of restricted pandemic-stricken nations.
29/4/2021
9 News
China and Russia 'winning vaccine diplomacy war against West'
The West is losing the COVID-19 vaccine diplomacy battle in key developing regions of the world to Russia and China and will suffer long-term strategic consequences, a new report has warned.
29/4/2021
9 News
Pill that treats coronavirus could be available by year's end: Pfizer CEO
A pill that treats coronavirus in the earliest stages of the disease could be available by the end of the year, the CEO of Pfizer has said.
29/4/2021
9 News
TGA investigating deaths of two people following COVID-19 vaccination but no link established
Australia's medical regulator is urgently investigating after two people died days after being vaccinated against COVID-19.
29/4/2021
9 News
"Australia told by China to abandon 'cold war mentality'
China has warned Australia that it needs to throw off its "cold war mentality" after Federal Government figures warned about the risk of conflict in the Asia Pacific.
29/4/2021
ABC News
ATAGI have told the Prime Minister to pull back on the AstraZeneca vaccine for under 50s and use Pfizer, but who are they?
On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Health Secretary Brendan Murphy announced that Australia was diverging from its plan to use the AstraZeneca vaccine for the bulk of the population.
29/4/2021
ABC News
Recycled sewage water common component of Australian tap water
The world is watching as Cape Town's water crisis approaches "Day Zero". Questions are being asked about which other cities could be at risk and what can they do to avoid running dry.
28/4/2021
ABC News
A doctor with more than 20 years' experience in the NT is collecting data about water quality and end-stage kidney disease
Residents in remote communities say their water supplies are making them sick. The NT Government has promised $28 million for new bores, water treatment systems and infrastructure in 10 "priority" communities.
28/4/2021
SBS News
U.S. Australia to spend $747 million upgrading Northern Territory defence bases
The federal government has earmarked almost one billion dollars to upgrade military training bases and ranges across Australia's Top End.
28/4/2021
Fox News
U.S. Navy fires warning shots on three Iranian fast boats that got too close
The U.S. Navy fired warning shots on three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) patrol boats in the north Persian Gulf Tuesday, after verbal warnings by U.S. forces were first ignored.
28/4/2021
Zero Hedge
"It's About To Get Much Worse": Supply Chains Implode As "Price Doesn’t Even Matter Anymore"
The number of container ships stuck at anchor off Los Angeles and Long Beach is down to around 20 per day, from 30 a few months ago. Does this mean the capacity crunch in the trans-Pacific market is finally easing? Absolutely not, warned Nerijus Poskus, vice president of global ocean at freight forwarder Flexport. “It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse,” he told American Shipper in an interview on Monday.
28/4/2021
Reuters
Citing ‘stunning progress’ on coronavirus, Biden lifts outdoor mask guidelines
Fully vaccinated people can safely engage in outdoor activities like walking and hiking without wearing masks but should continue to use face-coverings in public spaces where they are required, U.S. health regulators and President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, while urging those who have not to get the shot. The updated health advice comes as more than half of all adults in the United States have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
27/4/2021
Reuters
Indian hospitals swamped by coronavirus as countries promise aid
India ordered its armed forces on Monday to help tackle surging new coronavirus infections, as nations including Britain, Germany and the United States pledged urgent medical aid to try to contain an emergency overwhelming the country’s hospitals.
27/4/2021
South China Morning Post
British military fleet will set sail for Asia next month, with visits planned to India, Japan, South Korea and Singapore
Fleet will include new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, the most powerful surface vessel in the Royal Navy’s history, with eight fast jets on board
27/4/2021
ABC News
Hong Kong and Singapore to start quarantine-free travel bubble next month
The bubble between the two Asian financial hubs had been slated to begin last November but was suspended after a spike in coronavirus cases in Hong Kong.
27/4/2021
News.com.au
Home Affairs boss warns ‘drums of war’ are beating
One of the country’s top national security officials has warned that the “drums of war” are beating as tensions with China escalate.
27/4/2021
Zero Hedge
Pentagon Reveals 3-Hour Long IRGC "Swarming" Incident Of US Vessels In Gulf
US Navy officials have revealed to The Wall Street Journal that a pair of Coast Guard ships were recently "swarmed" by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fast boats in the Persian Gulf earlier this month as they conducted patrols in international waters.
27/4/2021
News.com.au
Haunting images of India’s mass COVID-19 cremation site
Pictures of a mass cremation site in India have emerged, with doctors begging for help as the country is crushed by a new COVID-19 wave.
27/4/2021
ABC News
Palaszczuk urges Commonwealth to look at regional COVID quarantine hubs as Perth travellers set to be released from hotel isolation
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged the federal government to "plan for the future" when it comes to quarantine facilities for overseas arrivals as flights from India are reduced amid a soaring number of COVID-19 cases.
23/4/2021
ABC News
Perth and Peel plunged into three-day lockdown after quarantine hotel COVID transmission
Perth and the Peel region has been plunged into a three-day lockdown after several people contracted COVID-19 while staying in hotel quarantine.
23/4/2021
Zero Hedge
New Study Shows "Long Haul" COVID-19 Can Kill Patients Months After Infection
Across the US, tens of thousands of people who were infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have struggled with a buffet of debilitating symptoms that made it impossible for them to work or live normal lives. Many of those who were eligible sought disability as baffled scientists tried to determine the cause of the "long hauler" syndrome, as it has come to be known.
23/4/2021
South China Morning Post
China’s Covid-19 vaccines reach final stage of WHO approval process
The World Health Organization’s review of two Chinese Covid-19 vaccines for emergency use licensing - a prerequisite for their inclusion in the Covax Facility global vaccine distribution programme - is proceeding as scheduled.
23/4/2021
News.com.au
China warns ‘tiny’ Australia about ‘crippling’ response after Belt and Road Initiative deal cancelled
China has lashed out at Australia over the cancelled Belt and Road Initiative deal, branding the move a “suicidal attack” and vowing to respond with “potentially crippling countermeasures”.
23/4/2021
News.com.au
Surplus AstraZeneca doses could be sent to the Pacific
Excess AstraZeneca doses produced in Australia could be sent to the Pacific after damaging advice over its use in young people.
23/4/2021
9 News
Melbourne man tests positive to COVID-19 after Perth hotel quarantine stay
A Melbourne man has tested positive to COVID-19, bringing Victoria's run of 55 days of zero community transmission to an end.
22/4/2021
Sky News
TGA begins ‘first step’ in approval process for new COVID drug
A new drug to treat COVID-19 has been expedited by the Therapeutic Goods Administration with SOTROVIMAB - developed by pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline - shown to reduce hospitalisations among COVID patients by 85 per cent.
22/4/2021
Sky News
Queensland building boom stalled by supply shortage
Queensland’s home building industry boom has seen a shortage in supplies – particularly timber – with work on new homes being stalled as crews wait for materials. The state reported the number of new dwellings was up 61 per cent annually, about triple the national rate of increase. Timber prices have soared as the shortage is felt world-wide.
22/4/2021
South China Morning Post
Backlash to Japan’s Fukushima waste water plan quietens as South Korea, China assess the real cost
After initially strongly opposing Japan’s planned release of contaminated water, its neighbours are now pressing Tokyo to be transparent about the discharge. Analysts believe South Korea, Russia and Taiwan are more concerned about sacrificing bilateral ties with Japan – but China is still seething.
22/4/2021
Reuters
Sirens warn of possible rocket attack near Israel's Dimona reactor
Sirens sounded in the southern Israeli district of Abu Qrenat near the Dimona nuclear reactor on Thursday, the Israeli military said without immediately providing further details. A Reuters reporter about 90 km (56 miles) away from the site heard the sound of an explosion minutes before the military's text message.
22/4/2021
SBS News
Two people contract COVID-19 in WA hotel quarantine, NSW on alert for more local cases
The WA Health Department has confirmed two travellers have contracted COVID-19 in hotel quarantine, while NSW Health is on alert after another potential breach in Sydney.
22/4/2021
ABC News
Federal government tears up four Victorian government deals with foreign nations leading to rebuke from Chinese embassy
Two agreements Victoria signed with China's Belt and Road Initiative are among the deals scrapped. China's embassy in Australia has said the move shows the Australian government does not wish to improve relations between the two nations.
21/4/2021
9 News
Rain and storms in the tropics while cold front continues for southern states
A trough is triggering rain and storms in the northeast tropics, heaviest on the tropical Queensland east coast. A cold front is bringing brisk winds and showers to southeast NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.
21/4/2021
9 News
Australia's $160m hay exports to China under threat as permits lapse
Australia's hay exports to China, valued at $160 million annually, have practically ground to a halt this year, as dozens of crucial export permits which lapsed two months ago are still to be renewed by Beijing.
21/4/2021
Zero Hedge
The Lockdown Paradigm Is Collapsing
It’s taken much longer than it should have but at last it seems to be happening: the lockdown paradigm is collapsing. The signs are all around us.
21/4/2021
SBS News
With 34 million people a 'step away from famine', governments are being urged to quickly scale up action
The more than 260 NGOs to sign the letter say donations so far this year have been a mere fraction of what's required to prevent world hunger from worsening.
21/4/2021
ABC News
Bruce Highway cut as flooding rain continues to lash Far North Queensland
Cairns has received more than 500 millimetres this week. The Bruce Highway has been cut between Cardwell and Ingham. BOM says falls of up to 200mm are expected today.
20/4/2021
Sky News
IVERMECTIN
Opinion: In the UK, the best way forward would be to authorise the use of ivermectin for prophylaxis and treatment of Covid-19 on the basis of the published evidence to date.
20/4/2021
Sky News
NSW GP 'aware' of increased vaccine hesitancy
NSW RACGP Chair Dr Charlotte Hespe says the vaccine rollout in her own practice is “finally” going well but she has noticed an increase in vaccine hesitancy.
20/4/2021
Sky News
National Cabinet to discuss building an Australian MRNA vaccine facility
Reconfiguration of Australia's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and the possible construction of an MRNA vaccine facility will be top of the agenda today when National Cabinet convenes for the first of its twice-weekly meetings.
20/4/2021
ABC News
Melbourne's drinking water and catchment areas put at risk by ‘systemic' illegal logging on steep slopes, experts say
Logging on slopes steeper than 30 degrees is banned in some areas protected for drinking water supply. The Victorian government's conservation regulator found the government-run VicForests breached this law at two locations.
20/4/2021
ABC News
NSW floods break 120-year-old rain records during March rain event, BOM says
Record floods occurred on the Manning and Hastings rivers during March. The rain event went on for longer and over a wider area than other NSW floods. Two of the three biggest single-day increases in 30 years were recorded in Murray-Darling catchments.
19/4/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus medi-hotel Tom's Court put up for sale months after opening in Adelaide
Adelaide's dedicated medi-hotel for coronavirus patients has been put on the market, just months after it was launched.
19/4/2021
9 News
Mercury to plunge across south eastern states
Cooler and wetter conditions are forecast for large parts of south eastern Australia from today.
19/4/2021
ABC News
Smoke blanketing Perth from prescribed burns set to clear throughout day, but more to come
Prescribed burns and smaller private property burns have left large parts of the Perth metropolitan area blanketed in thick smoke.
19/4/2021
Zero Hedge
What The CDC's VAERS Database Reveals About "Adverse" Post-Vaccine Reactions
Data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the number of injuries and deaths reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) following COVID vaccines revealed reports of blood clots and other related blood disorders associated with all three vaccines approved for Emergency Use Authorization in the U.S. — Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J). So far, only the J&J vaccine has been paused because of blood clot concerns.
19/4/2021
South China Morning Post
China ‘not afraid of falling behind’ on military technology, analyst says
China is not afraid of being outpaced in terms of military modernisation, analysts said, after South Korea last week unveiled a prototype of its planned 4.5th-generation fighter jet, as the two countries are looking at different export markets.
19/4/2021
9 News
EXCLUSIVE Canada’s Ontario to expand use of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine as epidemic rages
The Canadian province of Ontario will begin offering AstraZeneca’s (AZN.L) COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday to people turning 40 or older this year, according to a government source.
19/4/2021
9 News
COVID-19 safety breach potentially exposes Perth hospital staff to virus
Three staff members at the Royal Perth Hospital may have been exposed to coronavirus after a safety breach involving a service lift used by a COVID-19 patient.
19/4/2021
9 News
Documents reveal South Australia hospital cuts
Freedom of Information documents obtained by the Labor opposition in South Australia have revealed more than 300 hospital jobs have been cut, including nurses, doctors and medical scientists.
19/4/2021
9 News
Australia 'in discussions' with Singapore over travel bubble, NZ trans-Tasman arrangement begins
Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack says the government remains "in discussions" with Singapore as it looks to create more quarantine-free travel bubbles with other low COVID-risk countries.
19/4/2021
9 News
Duterte urged to stop 'grovelling to China' over reef dispute
Philippines leader Roberto Duterte risks making his country "another one of China's satellites" with his silence over Beijing's incursion in the South China Sea.
19/4/2021
Zero Hedge
Where COVID Cases Are Growing The Fastest
COVID-19 cases are growing in many countries around the world, but, as Statista's Katharina Buchholz details below, some are hit harder than others. Numbers by Johns Hopkins University published on Our World in Data show that among the highly affected countries with rising case numbers are several with successful vaccination campaigns, highlighting the need to not rely on vaccination alone to combat the coronavirus.
16/4/2021
9 News
Third vaccine jab 'likely needed within a year' Pfizer CEO says
The CEO of Pfizer says people will likely need a third dose of the company's COVID-19 vaccine within a year of being fully vaccinated.
16/4/2021
9 News
How farmers doing it tough are diversifying their income
We all know our farmers are doing it tough, which is why many are looking to diversify and find alternative sources of income.
16/4/2021
9 News
Amazing footage of the mouse plague devastating Aussie farmers
It's the plague devastating farmers. Amazing videos show thousands of mice running riot on Australian farms. And farmers, many of whom have had to contend with drought and bushfires over the past few years, say they're fighting a "losing battle" against the rodents.
16/4/2021
9 News
Coronavirus patients much more likely to get blood clots than vaccine recipients
People who actually catch coronavirus are nine times more likely to develop these particular types of blood clots than people who get the AstraZeneca vaccine.
15/4/2021
Zero Hedge
How Bill Gates Helped Drug Companies Maintain Their Monopoly On Vaccines During COVID
A few weeks ago, when President Biden held his first press conference since taking office, he promised that 200 million adults will have received at least one vaccine jab by the time his first 100 days have finished - a doubling of his initial target of 100M. Yet, in close to 130 countries, representing a population of 2.5 billion people, not a single adult has received a dose.
15/4/2021
Australian Farm Institute
Australian Consumers Facing Increasing Food Prices
Food prices are always a ‘hot-button’ political issue globally, especially in developing nations where elevated food prices have triggered civil unrest and regime change over the past decade. Food prices have not commonly been a contentious issue in Australia, where a combination of high per capita levels of national agricultural and food production, and a fiercely competitive retail food sector have kept prices in check for extended periods. Food prices are likely to become a much bigger issue in Australia in the near future, however, as all the signs indicate that Australia’s decade of low food prices is about to come to an end.
15/4/2021
ABC News
Vaccine side effects: With all this talk about blood clots, how do I know if I'm affected?
Rare cases of blood clotting linked to the administration of COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca has thrown the medical condition under the spotlight, but what is blood clotting, and what are the symptoms?
15/4/2021
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: two pregnant women in Hong Kong who received BioNTech vaccine suffer miscarriages, but no link to jab confirmed as yet
Two pregnant women in Hong Kong who had received the BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine have suffered miscarriages, although a link to the jabs has not been established and health authorities are assessing the cases.
15/4/2021
9 News
Virgin CEO backs 'hopeful' call for October overseas travel
Virgin CEO Jayne Hrdlicka has backed her Qantas counterpart Alan Joyce with a call to re-open international travel.
15/4/2021
Reuters
Brazil's P1 coronavirus variant mutating, may become more dangerous -study
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazil’s P1 coronavirus variant, behind a deadly COVID-19 surge in the Latin American country that has raised international alarm, is mutating in ways that could make it better able to evade antibodies, according to scientists studying the virus.
14/4/2021
9 News
Warnings as cold front brings damaging winds to south eastern states
A vigorous cold front is expected to generate severe weather conditions for Australia's south eastern states, with damaging winds set to blast New South Wales, Victoria and large parts of Tasmania today.
14/4/2021
News.com.au
Supermarket prices may rise as farmers warn they will not plant crops for a year
Supermarket prices could rise as Australian farmers warn they will not plant crops for a year due to labour shortages. Coronavirus travel restrictions have impacted fruit and vegetable growers, leaving a labour shortage due to a drop in overseas workers.
14/4/2021
RT
It’s now ‘white, male and elite’ to spell properly, say woke UK universities, dumbing down to appease minorities & underperformers
Barmy British universities insist English spelling, punctuation, and grammar are not important, it’s the ‘ideas’ that matter, as they lower the bar for everyone to avoid discrimination. This strategy is bad news for ALL students.
14/4/2021
Sky News
Queensland to ease COVID restrictions from tomorrow
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced Queensland will ease coronavirus restrictions from 6am tomorrow – warning she has not ruled out reimplementing a mask mandate in the future. “So that means that you don’t have to carry your masks, you still have to wear masks going through the airport terminals and on planes,” she said.
14/4/2021
ABC News
Military reminded core business is to use 'lethal violence' to defend Australia's values and sovereignty
Liberal backbencher Phillip Thompson backed the message, warning "we've gone a little bit woke over the past few years, and we can't afford to be doing that"
14/4/2021
ABC News
COVID-19 detected in Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital ward 5D despite deep cleaning
A ward at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital will undergo further cleaning after the COVID-19 virus was detected after a deep clean. The hospital has been locked down twice in recent months, after two workers in the 5D ward contracted the virus from a positive returned traveller.
14/4/2021
ABC News
Novavax COVID-19 vaccine production set back due to supply shortages
Novavax is one of three companies the federal government struck a deal with to distribute COVID-19 vaccines in Australia. It will need to be imported to Australia because of a lack of capable vaccine manufacturers. The company has faced difficulties sourcing key production materials, including single-use bags used to grow vaccine cells.
14/4/2021
ABC News
Modelling shows mandatory face masks during Victoria's COVID-19 second wave helped 'save thousands'
The study developed a "compartmental model" looking at the measures taken during Victoria's second wave. The researchers found Victoria's hospitals were saved from being overrun because of the measures . It found face coverings, which were mandatory in Victoria, were "critical" and should be the cornerstone of any future public health response.
13/4/2021
The Independent
Pentagon unveils microchip that senses Covid in the body
Invention inspired by huge virus outbreak on board USS Theodore Roosevelt
13/4/2021
9 News
Australia's east coast continues to shiver through frosty cold snap
States and territories have shivered through another frosty morning as a cold snap continues to grip Australia's east coast.
13/4/2021
SBS News
Up to 70 per cent of properties in WA town of Kalbarri damaged by Tropical Cyclone Seroja
Tropical Cyclone Seroja has been downgraded to a tropical low after smashing into the West Australian coast, with most of the damage concentrated in Kalbarri.
13/4/2021
ABC News
Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine won't be coming to Australia due to AstraZeneca similarities
Johnson & Johnson's one-dose vaccine will not be part of Australia's vaccine rollout, at least for now, after the federal government confirmed it would not purchase any doses from the company.
13/4/2021
ABC News
Johnson & Johnson's one-dose COVID-19 vaccine won't be coming to Australia due to AstraZeneca similarities
Johnson & Johnson's one-dose vaccine will not be part of Australia's vaccine rollout, at least for now, after the federal government confirmed it would not purchase any doses from the company.
13/4/2021
ABC News
Former defence minister Christopher Pyne warns of potential war with China in the Indo-Pacific region
Mr Pyne said the likelihood of a "kinetic war" in the Indo-Pacific was now much higher than when he first served as minister for defence industry. He also pointed to Beijing's recent actions, such as taking control of Hong Kong and staring down criticism of its treatment of ethnic Uyghurs, to highlight the growing threat posed by the Chinese military. Earlier this month, a senior American diplomat confirmed Australia and the United States were discussing contingency plans in case a military conflict erupts over Taiwan.
12/4/2021
RT
Global food prices continue to surge, hitting 7-year highs, UN says
A new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations shows that global food commodity prices rose in March, marking their tenth consecutive monthly increase. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly-traded food commodities, averaged 118.5 points in March, 2.1% higher than in February and reaching its highest level since June 2014.
12/4/2021
ABC News
Wide Bay Burnett remains desperately dry despite La Niña drenching much of Australia
BOM classes severe rainfall deficiency as receiving rain in the lowest 5 per cent of records. Its latest drought statement shows the Wide Bay Burnett as the standout area in severe deficiency. Large parts of Australia have been in rainfall deficiency since 2017.
12/4/2021
Sky News
PM abandons all COVID-19 vaccine targets
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has conceded not all Australians will get their first coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year. Approximately 20 million additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in the last quarter of 2021 and targets will no longer be set under a new rollout plan due to too many uncertainties.
12/4/2021
Perth Now
Full overseas travel years away for Australians: Deloitte
A new report has warned that international travel for Australians is likely to remain restrictive until 2024. Deloitte Access Economics’ quarterly business outlook - printed prior to the Morrison government’s vaccination program being thrown into disarray late last week - expects international borders will re-open only gradually.
12/4/2021
BBC News
Iran nuclear: 'Terrorist act' at underground Natanz facility
A nuclear facility in Iran was hit by a "terrorist act" a day after it unveiled new advanced uranium centrifudges, a top nuclear official says.
12/4/2021
ABC News
US navy warns China ‘we’re watching you’ as destroyer shadows Liaoning carrier group
A photo of the captain of the USS Mustin taken while shadowing the PLA warships has been described as a form of ‘cognitive warfare’. Both sides are building up their forces in the East and South China seas by sending carriers and escorts to the region.
12/4/2021
ABC News
Tropical Cyclone Seroja wreaks havoc along WA's mid north coast, rips apart historic One Mile Jetty
Cyclone Seroja has weakened to a tropical low. It is now moving south-east between Merriden and Southern Cross. The trail of destruction included the One Mile Jetty in Carnarvon.
9/4/2021
Reuters
Exclusive: French health body to say mRNA vaccine should be used as second dose after AstraZeneca
PARIS (Reuters) - France’s top health body will on Friday say that recipients of a first dose of AstraZeneca’s traditional COVID-19 vaccine who are under 55 should get a second shot with a new-style messenger-RNA vaccine, two sources aware of the plans said on Thursday.
9/4/2021
News.com.au
NSW to resume AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine rollout after urgent medical advice
NSW resumed its AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine rollout after a brief pause over blood-clot fears for those aged under 50.
9/4/2021
9 News
Poor rains bring optimism African locust outbreak will fade
In a convoy of pickup trucks fitted with spray guns, soldiers zoom through Baraka' s hills leaving a trail of dust and bemused villagers in its wake.
9/4/2021
9 News
WA residents on alert as two cyclones spin off coast
Western Australians along a 1400 kilometre stretch of coastline are being warned to get out or batten down, as two cyclones are set to hit coastal communities this weekend.
9/4/2021
9 News
Australia will fast-track other vaccines and order more after AstraZeneca decision
Australia will fast-track two other coronavirus vaccines and order more of each amid recommendations to use other options than AstraZeneca for people under 50.
8/4/2021
9 News
Thunderstorms batter Sydney ahead of cold blast on the way for southern states
The first cold blast of autumn weather is heading for Victoria and southern New South Wales this weekend, with snow for mountains districts and freezing cold winds and showers elsewhere.
8/4/2021
News.com.au
Take the day off to get COVID vaccine to deal with the side effects
An Aussie woman who’s had the COVID jab has offered a glimpse into what could happen to you afterwards.
8/4/2021
News.com.au
COVID-19 variants from the UK, Brazil and South Africa infecting greater numbers of young people
The emergence of new mutations of COVID-19, dubbed ‘variants of concern’ by epidemiologists, has changed all of that. Dodging sickness and even death are no longer are safe bet for young people, as countless examples internationally have shown.
8/4/2021
BBC News
The hydrogen revolution in the skies
A record-breaking commercial-scale hydrogen plane has taken off in the UK, with more set to join it soon. How far can such planes go in cutting the aviation industry's emissions?
8/4/2021
SBS News
China’s military tracks US warship traversing Taiwan Strait
Taiwanese authorities say 15 Chinese military aircraft, including a dozen fighter jets, crossed into their defence zone. Taipei warns Beijing that the island will ‘defend ourselves to the very last day’ if necessary.
8/4/2021
ABC News
Family hikes to safety after being trapped by floodwaters at Upper Lansdowne
The Archer family became trapped in their remote cabin when floodwaters rapidly rose last month After three days they hiked out, with three young children, including a baby, to their neighbour's place. They are now rebuilding and say they look forward to moving back to their 'rainforest homestead'.
8/4/2021
ABC News
The 'known unknowns' — and baffling secrecy — of Australia's COVID vaccine rollout
As of Wednesday afternoon, 920,334 doses had been reported as being administered by Australian authorities. We can tell you the number of jabs given by each state government (134,323 of them in NSW, for example). We can tell you how many jabs have been delivered by the federal government to aged care and disability centres (112,830). There's not a lot else we can tell you. The biggest questions being asked about COVID at the moment are focused on how quickly Australia can actually ramp up its vaccination campaign.
7/4/2021
Today Online
Explainer: What is the new ‘Eek’ Covid-19 mutation, and will it stymie vaccination efforts?
Seventy per cent of Covid-19 patients tested at a Tokyo hospital last month carried the E484K mutation, nicknamed “Eek” by some scientists. Infectious disease experts said the Eek mutation had already been discovered in other strains around the world, and vaccinations are less effective on them.
7/4/2021
SBS News
Pacific Island farm workers arriving in Victoria will boost harvests, but they 'won't be enough'
Eventually, farms in the state will welcome 1,500 Pacific workers under the deal struck between the Victorian and Tasmanian governments. While the workers are welcome, Ms Finger warns they are not enough and says the industry needs to look at its use of migrant labour. "It won't be enough to service Victoria - (it's) one of the biggest horticulture states in Australia," she said.
7/4/2021
ABC News
Mushroom farming providing a new direction for some impacted by COVID and drought
Interest in mushroom farming is growing, as new growing techniques emege. Small-scale growers are supplying them to local markets and restaurants. There's increasing consumer demand for locally grown produce.
7/4/2021
Sky News
IMF: Australian economy to bounce back to pre-pandemic size within weeks
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has upgraded Australia's economic forecast and is expecting the nation to bounce back to its pre-pandemic size within weeks. According to the IMF the economy will expand by 4.5 per cent this year after contracting by 2.4 percent in 2020.
7/4/2021
CNN
University of Oxford pauses pediatric trial of its vaccine with AstraZeneca, pending review by UK regulator
The spokesperson said the trial in children had not raised any safety concerns, but it would be paused while Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, reviews rare cases of people who suffer blood clots while at the same time having low levels of blood platelets.
7/4/2021
Reuters
'A biological Fukushima': Brazil COVID-19 deaths on track to pass worst of U.S. wave
Brazil’s brutal surge in COVID-19 deaths will soon surpass the worst of a record January wave in the United States, scientists forecast, with fatalities climbing for the first time above 4,000 in a day on Tuesday as the outbreak overwhelms hospitals.
7/4/2021
Perth Now
WA’s North West expected to be battered by Cyclone Seroja, which killed more than 150 people in Indonesia
Tropical Cyclone Seroja is being fuelled by another tropical low that has developed off WA’s coast, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. It is expected to develop into a severe category three cyclone later this week. Rain and strong winds are predicted to hit WA’s North West from Thursday afternoon.
7/4/2021
ABC News
Australia's historic 'peanut capital', Kingaroy, is running out of nuts because of climate change
Kingaroy nut growers are considering different crops amid concern for the future. Peanut production in the area is dwindling because of unpredictable summer rainfall.
6/4/2021
Zero Hedge
Japan Poised To Allow Coast Guard To Fire On Chinese Vessels In New Legislation
New legislation being considered that would radically alter current Japan Coast Guard policy toward how it engages foreign vessels in Japan's waters could inadvertently hurl the region toward a hot conflict involving China.
6/4/2021
South China Morning Post
Covid-19 investigators turn focus onto Chinese wildlife farms
A member of the WHO team that visited Wuhan says the city’s Huanan market sold products that had come from areas where virus-carrying bats live. Food safety expert Hung Nguyen-Viet says this potential pathway for the virus needs to be properly investigated.
6/4/2021
Sky News
UK confirms return of international travel through traffic light system
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed international travel will return accompanied by a risk-based traffic light system. Mr Johnson said travellers from countries labelled 'green' will not be required to self-isolate but testing before and after flying will be needed.
6/4/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus variants mean we can't rely on vaccination. We need global suppression
At the end of 2020, there was a strong hope that high levels of vaccination would see humanity finally gain the upper hand over SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
6/4/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus immunity a requirement for Mecca pilgrims, Saudi Arabia says
Those participating in a non-compulsory pilgrimage will face immunity restrictions. People that have recovered from the disease will be eligible. It remains unclear if the immunity obligation will extend to the compulsory hajj pilgrimage.
1/4/2021
ABC News
UN special envoy tells Security Council to act to avoid 'bloodbath' in Myanmar
The UN was told the Myanmar military was not capable of managing the country. The meeting was called by Britain in response to the worsening violence. More than 140 civilians died in protests on Saturday, the deadliest day so far.
1/4/2021
ABC News
COVID-19 vaccines being thrown away due to delivery problems, Toowoomba clinic says
Carbal Medical Services says more than 2,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines had to be thrown out. The service says hundreds of bookings could be cancelled due to supply problems. The Queensland government has called for greater transparency on the vaccination rollout.
1/4/2021
Reuters
Explainer: Why is there a global chip shortage and why should you care?
From delayed car deliveries to a supply shortfall in home appliances to costlier smartphones, businesses and consumers across the globe are facing the brunt of an unprecedented shortage in semiconductor microchips.
1/4/2021
Reuters
Macron orders COVID-19 lockdown across all of France, closes schools
President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday ordered France into its third national lockdown and said schools would close for three weeks as he sought to push back a third wave of COVID-19 infections that threatens to overwhelm hospitals.
1/4/2021
Sky News
States 'can't keep shutting borders' over a few cases
New South Wales Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says the state has always sought to act in the national interest by keeping borders open.
31/3/2021
ABC News
Santos and partners investing $4.7 billion to develop Barossa offshore gas field near Darwin
Environmental groups say the project is likely to “significantly” increase Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and threaten pristine waterways off the Top End. But the Commonwealth and Northern Territory governments say the project is a boost for the so-called gas-led recovery and a welcome sign of confidence coming back after last year's dive in oil and gas prices.
31/3/2021
ABC News
Australian researchers find COVID-19 aerosol spread that puts some healthcare workers at risk over others
More people are at risk of contracting COVID-19 — including frontline health staff — unless better mask-wearing protocols are introduced, according to new Australian research.
31/3/2021
ABC News
RAAF planning for new military space command as it celebrates 100th anniversary
The space command is likely to be staffed by personnel from the Army, Air Force and Navy. Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld says Australia is three to four years behind where he wants to be on this project.
31/3/2021
Sky News
'This addiction to lockdowns has to end': Alan Jones
"It is easy to lockdown the economy when you're not paying the bills. Thousands and thousands of people are losing millions and millions of dollars and an incompetent Chief Medical Officer, earning over half a million dollars, loses nothing.
31/3/2021
Sky News
PM to fast-track $1b weapons production facility
The Morrison government is expected to fast-track the $1 billion Sovereign Guided Weapons Enterprise to drive jobs growth and secure the nation’s defence capabilities.
31/3/2021
South China Morning Post
Isis supporters in Indonesia, Malaysia call for more violence after attack during holy period for Muslims and Christians
The suicide bombing by newlyweds in Makassar city took place on Palm Sunday, a week before Easter, and in the run-up to the month of Ramadan. Police have arrested eight suspects with links to the couple, and found a cache of explosives and bomb-making materials in Jakarta.
31/3/2021
Reuters
U.S., 13 countries concerned WHO COVID-19 origin study was delayed, lacked access -statement
It followed WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’s assertion that data was withheld from its investigators who traveled to China to research the origins of the pandemic.
31/3/2021
BBC
Brisbane's COVID cluster grows as second nurse at PA hospital tests positive to coronavirus
Queensland has recorded two new community cases of COVID-19, both linked to an existing cluster, in an encouraging sign that lockdown could be lifted tomorrow if the situation doesn't worsen.
30/3/2021
BBC
Suez Canal reopens after giant stranded ship is freed
Traffic has resumed in Egypt's Suez Canal after a stranded container ship blocking it for nearly a week was finally freed by salvage crews.
30/3/2021
ABC News
England eases coronavirus lockdown as COVID-19 infections drop to six-month low
Britain records its lowest daily total of infections in six months. London reports no COVID-19 deaths for the first time since September. But UK health experts say the take-up of vaccines is lower among minority groups.
30/3/2021
SBS News
Two 'distinct clusters' emerge as Queensland records eight new locally-acquired coronavirus cases
Another eight coronavirus cases have emerged in Queensland following an outbreak that triggered a snap lockdown of Greater Brisbane.
26/3/2021
SBS News
NSW floods: Warning issued on risk of water-borne disease as recovery process begins
With no major rain forecast for at least a week, the huge task of cleaning up can begin. New South Wales Health is warning residents to be aware of the risk of contamination and the water-borne diseases during the clean up.
26/3/2021
Business Insider
It could take weeks to dislodge the ship stuck in the Suez Canal, straining a vital supply chain route
The Suez Canal blockage is just one of many mishaps to befall the global supply chain in the past few months. Prices of goods are expected to continue to rise as delays in key California ports, computer chip shortages and the Texas freeze complicate an already precarious post-pandemic supply chain.
26/3/2021
ABC News
Brisbane COVID-19 community transmission case puts city on alert after man visits multiple public venues while infectious
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the man, from the Brisbane suburb of Stafford, visited a number of places in Brisbane and Moreton Bay before returning his positive result last night. From midday aged care facilities, hospitals and prisons in the Brisbane City Council and Moreton Bay areas will not be allowed visitors.
24/3/2021
ABC News
Severe weather warning for Tasmanian east coast
The weather bureau is warning people in the east of Tasmania to prepare for heavy rain, strong winds and dangerous surf from Wednesday afternoon. The heaviest falls are expected in the north-east and on the east coast, with up to 200 millimetres possible in isolated areas.
24/3/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus 'long haulers' feared they would never recover. Then they got the vaccine
Mary Bempeki was still in the grips of coronavirus, one year after contracting it. Until now, medical science has not been able to offer much in the way of treatment or advice to patients with long COVID. Ms Bempeki says getting vaccinated improved her health greatly.
24/3/2021
Sky News
TGA approval a 'major step' in Australia's inoculation program
The approval of the first four batches of the locally produced AstraZeneca vaccine is a “major step” towards tackling the coronavirus according to Deputy Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd.
24/3/2021
7 News
North Korea test-fires two missiles following joint US-South Korean military exercises
North Korea has test-fired two short-range missiles over the weekend as the rogue state lobbies for a relaxation of sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.
24/3/2021
SBS News
Heavy rainfall eases across NSW coast, but flood risks likely to linger for several days
Some 18,000 NSW residents have already been evacuated from their homes due to flooding, with risks likely to linger despite an improving weather outlook.
23/3/2021
ABC News
Landslips possible as heavy rain and flash floods to continue in Queensland
Rain is forecast to continue in southern Queensland until Thursday . Drier and cooler conditions are expected ahead of the weekend. Authorities are urging motorists to steer clear of flooded roads after six rescues on Sunday.
23/3/2021
ABC News
Victoria eases COVID-19 mask rules and limits on private gatherings and AFL crowds
Victorians will be able to host up to 100 people in their homes each day. Employers must stick to an on-site density limit, but do not need to allow employees to work from home after Friday. AFL crowds will be boosted to 75 per cent of stadium capacity in time for round two.
23/3/2021
ABC News
Flooding leaves WA remote communities cut off, turns others into 'tiny islands'
Recent heavy rainfall followed an already plentiful wet season. Some remote communities have been cut off for months. Food and emergency supplies are being flown into the region.
23/3/2021
SBS News
'No one has ever seen it this bad': NSW residents shocked by extent of flood damage
Homes have been swept away, livelihoods ruined and thousands evacuated amid torrential rain that has lashed parts of NSW.
19/3/2021
Reuters
"My University Said No To Cancel Culture And It Was the Right Call"
Renaming schools, disinviting speakers, and canceling professors is all the rage on campus these days. At the University of Texas at Austin (UT), it seemed only a matter of time before our allegedly racist school song would be the next casualty of this woke crusade.
19/3/2021
Reuters
Germany, France among nations to resume use of AstraZeneca vaccine after regulators back shot
AMSTERDAM/LONDON (Reuters) - Germany, France and other European nations announced plans to resume using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday after EU and British regulators moved to shore up confidence in the shot, saying its benefits outweigh the risks.
19/3/2021
South China Morning Post
BioNTech vaccine should be effective in protecting against certain Covid-19 strains, medical experts in Hong Kong say
The German-made doses should protect people from the variants found in Britain and Brazil, according to experts advising government.
19/3/2021
ABC
Brisbane coronavirus restrictions for aged care homes, hospitals lifted after another day of zero community transmission
Visitor restrictions at hospitals, aged care facilities and disability providers in Greater Brisbane will be lifted from midday after another day of zero community transmission of coronavirus.
19/3/2021
South China Morning Post
China making strides in Industry 4.0 revolution as advanced manufacturing outpaces EU, US, Japan
Bosch Automotive Products, Foxconn Technology Group, Midea Shunde, Tsingtao Brewery and Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing added to list of cutting-edge advanced manufacturing facilities
19/3/2021
Zero Hedge
On The Verge Of A Global Crisis: One Bank Warns Of A "Biblical" Surge In Food Prices
Key feed and food prices have been pulled to 9-month and 7-year highs
19/3/2021
Zero Hedge/p>
New Document Exposes How This Company Tracks Car Locations In Real-Time
According to a document obtained by Motherboard, a tiny surveillance contractor based in Charleston, South Carolina, can locate and track newer model cars in any country. This data is being packaged up into a new service and pitched to the US government as a powerful surveillance technology.
18/3/2021
News.com.au
Warnings of flooding in Sydney as rain ‘deluge’ swamps eastern Australia
Months worth of rain will fall in a matter of days across east and central Australia, with severe warnings in place and advice to avoid travel.
18/3/2021
ABC News
Gemfields residents begin clean up after major flooding ravages low-lying areas
A brand new warning system installed for flood emergencies did not activate on Wednesday morning. Residents say had the sirens sounded, they may have had more time to evacuate.
18/3/2021
Sky News
Surgeries in Victorian hospitals cancelled after suspected cyber attack
Elective surgeries at hospitals in Melbourne’s east have been postponed until further notice after a suspected cyber-attack. IT systems at multiple Victorian hospitals shut down causing Eastern Health to cancel all but urgent category one surgeries.
18/3/2021
7 News
‘Like a tornado’: Inside Papua Guinea’s rapidly escalating coronavirus crisis
Rapidly increasing COVID-19 infections in hospitals in Papua New Guinea are hitting its fragile health system “like a tornado”, with services shutting as staff fall ill, health workers say.
17/3/2021
ABC News
NSW records another COVID-19 case linked to Sydney's Sofitel Wentworth
Health authorities believe the new case was acquired in hotel quarantine. The Premier says it will not impact today's easing of COVID-19 restrictions. No one staying on the 11th floor of the Sofitel will be moved until further investigations are completed.
17/3/2021
7 News
Australia suspends flights from Papua New Guinea amid spiralling coronavirus crisis
Australia is suspending flights from Papua New Guinea into Cairns amid a worsening coronavirus crisis off-shore. PNG Prime Minister James Marape fears as many as one in every three residents in his country has COVID-19, as case numbers spike despite low testing rates. That has resulted in an escalation of measures to prevent the outbreak entering Australia, particularly Far North Queensland.
17/3/2021
Sky News
Thousands killed in Ethiopia conflict
A shocking eyewitness report from Sky News has revealed a brutal conflict raging in Ethiopia where security forces stand accused of massacres, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses. Around half a million have lost their homes and thousands have died.
17/3/2021
ABC News
China embraces coronavirus vaccine passports for overseas travel, but other countries foresee concerns
China has already vaccinated 52 million of its citizens. The app on their phones could let them travel overseas. But many other countries are still concerned about privacy and COVID-19 transmission.
17/3/2021
News.com.au
Emergency flood alert for Sapphire, central Qld after 130mm of rain in three hours
Residents in some low-lying areas of Queensland have been told to ‘move to higher ground now’ after more than 130mm of rain fell in three hours overnight.
16/3/2021
South China Morning Post
Myanmar security forces kill 138 protesters as martial law is called in areas of Yangon
Myanmar security forces killed at least 138 people during protests on Sunday against the military coup, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, told a press conference on Monday, while martial law was declared in several townships in the country’s largest city Yangon.
16/3/2021
Sky News
Queensland authorities unsure how hotel quarantine patients contracted virus
Authorities remain mystified as to how two patients in Queensland’s hotel quarantine program contracted the coronavirus despite staying in separate rooms. Genomic sequencing linked a doctor who contracted the virus to the two cases – revealing she picked up the disease when treating the patients at the Princess Alexandra hospital.
16/3/2021
ABC News
Germany, Italy, France and Spain suspend AstraZeneca vaccine rollout amid blood clot concerns
Italy, France, Germany and Spain have joined several other European countries in suspending the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine. AstraZeneca, the European Medicines Agency and the World Health Organization all say the vaccine is safe. The UK has administered millions of doses of the vaccine and says it has no concerns.
16/3/2021
ABC News
Panic buying psychology and how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed consumer behaviour
A study of consumers found 46 per cent care more about Australian-made since COVID-19. A major supermarket has seen a 33 per cent increase in fruit and vegetable sales to health-conscious consumers.
15/3/2021
News One
Thomas Hearns Says Marvin Hagler Was ‘In ICU Fighting The After Effects Of The Vaccine’
The boxing world was stunned to learn of the news that “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler died on Saturday at the age of 66. His wife made the announcement on the legendary boxer’s Facebook fan page and said her husband “passed away unexpectedly” in their New Hampshire home.
15/3/2021
Reuters
World stocks firm as stimulus fuels economic optimism
TOKYO (Reuters) - Global stock prices were off to a solid start while U.S. bond yields hovered near a 13-month peak on Monday as investors bet U.S. economic growth will accelerate after the passing of a massive stimulus package.
15/3/2021
Reuters
Ireland latest country to suspend AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland became the latest country to stop using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday, temporarily suspending the shot “out of an abundance of caution” after reports from Norway of serious blood clotting in some recipients there.
12/3/2021
9 News
Millions of Australians facing another private health insurance price hike
Almost 14 million Australians with private health insurance will face a price hike come April 1 – the second in just six months – and the hits keep coming.
12/3/2021
ABC News
Halting AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine rollout in EU an 'overreaction', according to experts
European authorities pausing the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a small number of people developed blood clots is an "overreaction", according to one leading Australian scientist.
12/3/2021
9 News
Flash flooding expected for Sydney's south
Residents of Sydney's southern suburbs have been warned to brace for flash flooding as a storm rolls in.
12/3/2021
ABC News
Virgin Australia's bookings jump 40pc weeks before the government's cheap airfares begin
Virgin Australia's bookings jumped by 40 per cent yesterday after the federal government announced it would be subsidising half-price domestic flights between April and July.
12/3/2021
ABC News
Federal government adjusts phase 1b coronavirus vaccination rollout to include more Aboriginal Australians
Just over a week out from the beginning of the COVID-19 vaccinations for the phase 1b priority group, the Australian government has quietly changed the parameters to include more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and remote residents.
11/3/2021
ABC News
Australian investors seek out travel stocks, Dow Jones hits new record
The ASX is flat in early trade, however, investors are flocking to travel stocks as the federal government announces a stimulus package for the pandemic-struck tourism sector.
11/3/2021
ABC News
Vets urge horses, owners to get Hendra virus vaccine as new strain identified
Equine vets are urging horse breeders and owners to vaccinate against Hendra virus, following the discovery of a new strain of the deadly virus by Australian researchers.
11/3/2021
ABC News
Healthcare Australia, the contractor behind COVID-19 vaccine bungle, to continue operating in Queensland
Healthcare Australia will be allowed to continue in Queensland as a vaccination provider, despite bungling the administration of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine.
11/3/2021
ABC News
Trucking charges at Australian container ports are surging and consumers may foot the bill
Arthur Tzaneros and his father set up their trucking firm back in 2005, but he has never seen stevedore charges so high.
11/3/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus restrictions to ease further across Queensland from this weekend
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced several coronavirus restrictions will be eased across the state from this weekend.
11/3/2021
Reuters
Australia unveils $928 million coronavirus support package to revive airlines, tourism
SYDNEY (Reuters) - 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.
11/3/2021
9 News
'This is hell': UN food aid chief visits Yemen, calls for urgent funding boost amid famine fears
The head of the UN food agency warned after a visit to Yemen that his underfunded organisation may be forced seek hundreds of millions of dollars in private donations in a desperate bid to stave off widespread famine in coming months, describing conditions in the war-stricken nation as "hell."
10/3/2021
South China Morning Post
India to buy first armed drones from US to counter China and Pakistan
The US$3 billion purchase of 30 MQ-9B Predator units will boost the country’s land and sea defences as tensions in the region persist.
10/3/2021
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Chinese scientists find selenium may be a dirty secret behind low infection rates
Researchers delve into theory that high selenium presence in the soil corresponds with higher human immunity. But scientists say more research is needed and warn of dangers associated with excessive intake and taking selenium without medical advice
10/3/2021
7 News
Australia and New Zealand trans-Tasman travel bubble flights resume
Australia and New Zealand’s travel bubble arrangements are set to resume after Auckland’s hotspot declaration was lifted. About 1.7 million residents emerged from a week-long lockdown on Sunday, which was imposed to contain a cluster of the more transmissible UK COVID-19 variant.
10/3/2021
7 News
The staggering number of Aussies at risk of losing jobs when JobKeeper ends
Around 110,000 Australians could lose their jobs when the JobKeeper wage subsidy ends at the end of this month, according to top economists. Commonwealth Bank experts say workers in coronavirus-hit industries like tourism, accommodation, transport, arts and recreation are most at risk of being sacked.
10/3/2021
ABC News
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe warns on house price boom
RBA governor Philip Lowe admitted low interest rates are driving up house prices, but said the bank will not adjust its policy based on the housing market. Mr Lowe said there are "various other tools" to keep house prices in check. The RBA and other financial regulators are "watching carefully" to see if home lending restrictions are necessary.
10/3/2021
ABC News
Adelaide positive COVID–19 wastewater test from undetected infection or old case, SA Health says
South Australian health authorities say a positive COVID-19 result in wastewater from Adelaide's CBD is either from an undetected case in the community or shedding from an old infection.
9/3/2021
Perth Now
Credit rating agency S&P labels WA’s economy the best in the world
The West Australian premier has championed his government’s COVID-era economic management after global credit rating agency S&P deemed the State’s economy the best in the world.
9/3/2021
Reuters
Queensland irrigators' hardship affects whole towns, as farmers walk away from crops
Central Queensland horticulture growers near Emerald are buying the most expensive water in Australia in an attempt to keep their trees and vines alive. According to the agribusiness Ruralco, the price for a megalitre of temporary allocation water peaked at $3,380 last year, about 1,900 per cent higher than what growers would expect to pay in the Nogoa Mackenzie system.
9/3/2021
Reuters
Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine neutralizes Brazil variant in lab study
The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE was able to neutralize a new variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in Brazil, according to a laboratory study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Monday.
9/3/2021
AP News
Fully vaccinated people can gather without masks, CDC says
NEW YORK (AP) — Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials.
9/3/2021
SBS News
Humans have 'destroyed or degraded' two-thirds of the world's original tropical rainforests
Humans have degraded or destroyed roughly two-thirds of the world's original tropical rainforest cover, new data reveals, raising alarm that a key natural buffer against climate change is quickly vanishing. The forest loss is also a major contributor of climate-warming emissions, with the dense tropical forest vegetation representing the largest living reservoir of carbon.
5/3/2021
Sydney Morning Herald News
Fruit and veg prices set to soar as worker shortage cripples Australian growers
The price of fresh fruit and vegetables is set to soar in coming months as severe labour shortages cripple the horticulture sector leading to a fall in production across regional Australia and food rotting on the ground.
5/3/2021
9 News
Etihad Airways reports $1.7 billion 2020 loss
Abu Dhabi’s national carrier has reported core operating losses of US$1.7 billion ($2.2 billion) for 2020, reflecting the severe toll of the coronavirus pandemic on the long-troubled airline that has lost billions in recent years.
5/3/2021
9 News
Gold Coast health worker recovers after anaphylactic reaction to COVID-19 vaccine
A Gold Coast health worker was hospitalised after having an adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.
5/3/2021
9 News
NSW to loosen school COVID-19 restrictions from Monday
Schools across NSW will have restrictions eased on Monday, allowing parents back on school grounds and dancing and singing activities to start up again.
5/3/2021
South China Morning Post
China’s ‘two sessions’: Tech titans’ proposals echo government goals for 5G, AI, autonomous driving and climate change
Every year, China’s most notable tech industry leaders are invited to the country’s two most important political meetings, known as the “two sessions”, to help formulate a national vision for the country’s technological development. As delegates of the National People‘s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People‘s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), they submit proposals and suggestions in advance of the meetings, although there is no guarantee those proposals will be enacted as legislation.
5/3/2021
9 News
Howard Springs quarantine facility expanded as international borders to stay shut until end of June
The Australian Government will expand the capacity of its Howard Springs quarantine facilities to 2000 people but will not prematurely open international borders.
5/3/2021
BBC News
Covid: Italy 'blocks' AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia
The Italian government has blocked the export of an Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia.
5/3/2021
Zero Hedge
Hong Kong Authorities Probe Death Of Man Who Received Covid-19 Vaccine
Hong Kong’s health authority is investigating whether the death of a 63-old man is related to inoculation with the Covid-19 vaccine, it said in a statement late Tuesday.
4/3/2021
ABC News
Northam streets turn into rivers as 'intense' flash flooding hits WA Wheatbelt centre
It is understood 40mm of rain fell in about 30 minutes on Tuesday night. SES volunteers had numerous callouts but no major damage has been reported. Some streets remain closed with silt posing a hazard to vehicles
4/3/2021
BBC
Covid: Police break up 'fake vaccine network' in China and South Africa
Police in China and South Africa have seized thousands of doses of counterfeit Covid-19 vaccine and made dozens of arrests, Interpol says. In China, police made 80 arrests at a factory allegedly making fake vaccine, where at least 3,000 doses were found. Three Chinese nationals and a Zambian were detained at a warehouse in Gauteng, South Africa, where ampoules containing 2,400 doses were discovered.
4/3/2021
9 News
New Russian variant of COVID-19 detected in Queensland hotel quarantine
Passengers aboard a Qatar Airways flight that landed in Brisbane last month will have their quarantine period extended after it was revealed several people on board tested positive for the Russian strain of coronavirus.
4/3/2021
7 News
Australians warned meat prices set to increase as farmers cull less cows
Australians have been warned that the price of meat, particularly beef, could skyrocket in supermarkets this year. Woolworths CEO Bran Banducci has predicted “volatile” price changes for much of 2021, saying “we do expect to see continued meat price increases.”
4/3/2021
Reuters
'When will it end?': How a changing virus is reshaping scientists’ views on COVID-19
A new consensus is emerging among scientists, according to Reuters interviews with 18 specialists who closely track the pandemic or are working to curb its impact. Many described how the breakthrough late last year of two vaccines with around 95% efficacy against COVID-19 had initially sparked hope that the virus could be largely contained, similar to the way measles has been. But, they say, data in recent weeks on new variants from South Africa and Brazil has undercut that optimism. They now believe that SARS-CoV-2 will not only remain with us as an endemic virus, continuing to circulate in communities, but will likely cause a significant burden of illness and death for years to come.
4/3/2021
ABC News
New African swine fever variants kill millions of pigs in China, devastating herd rebuild plan
New variants of the pig-killing disease African swine fever have emerged in Asia. Tens of millions of pigs were killed by the disease last year, creating a huge protein shortage. China's aim to rebuild its pig herd by the middle of the year now seem impossible, according to analysts
4/3/2021
Business Insider
Travel bans have supercharged Australia's car market, with ABS data showing a record 32% spike in household spending
Household spending on car sales rose more than 30% in the December quarter, the ABS announced on Wednesday. Industry figures show strong interest in new and used vehicles in the back half of 2020. International travel bans, flexible work, and a reticence to use public transport have all driven the car market’s recovery.
3/3/2021
9 News
WA Premier Mark McGowan's proposal for post-COVID border control sparks backlash
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan has hurriedly walked back a proposal to extend the state's border controls beyond the COVID-19 crisis, as a controversy erupted ahead of next Saturday's election.
3/3/2021
Sky News
NSW authorities considering vaccine passport
Discussions are underway for a vaccine passport-style plan for New South Wales residents which may prohibit a person from entering a venue if they have refused a COVID-19 jab.
3/3/2021
ABC News
South East Queensland storms wreak havoc on areas still recovering from previous storm damage
Residents say they are suffering anxiety after storms repeatedly hit the same suburbs. The SES were called out to 134 houses on Tuesday night. Around 75 millimetres fell within half an hour over parts of the city and Ipswich.
3/3/2021
ABC News
La Niña drives cool temperatures, high rainfall during Australian summer
Australia's mean summer temperature was 0.6 degrees Celsius above the average — the coolest in nine years. La Niña drove the cooler, wetter conditions, but experts say its influence is waning as climate change takes hold. Globally, 2021 saw the sixth hottest January since records began.
3/3/2021
SBS News
Nearly 20 per cent of Chinese Australians threatened or attacked because of their ethnicity, survey finds
The findings from the foreign affairs think-tank showed 37 per cent of Chinese Australians felt they had been treated differently or less favourably because of their heritage. Two-thirds of respondents believed the pandemic was a contributing factor to this discrimination and 52 per cent cited diplomatic tensions between Australia and China as another reason.
3/3/2021
SBS News
Australia's international border closure extended for another three months
Australia's international borders will remain closed until 17 June, 15 months after they were first introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
2/3/2021
Zero Hedge
China Recovery Stalls - Global Recovery Doubts Emerge
The official manufacturing PMI fell in February to 50.6 from 51.3 in January. A figure above 50 means expansion, and below, contraction. To see the manufacturing sector, key driver of the recovery in 2020, close to contraction even in the official figure, is a concern. This is a very large drop, significantly worse than the consensus average forecast of 51.0, at the lower end of economists’ forecasts.
3/3/2021
SBS News
WHO says 'unrealistic' that COVID-19 pandemic will finish in 2021
As global COVID-19 cases rise, WHO says it's 'unrealistic' to think the pandemic will end this year.
3/3/2021
ABC News
Australian beekeepers struggling with poor season as La Niña, climate change take a toll
With less honey produced Mr Hooper has turned to supplementary feeding to keep his colony in good condition ahead of pollination and the winter months.
3/3/2021
ABC News
Thousands of homes left without power as tropical low off Far North Queensland turns into Cyclone Niran
A tropical low off Far North Queensland has officially developed into Cyclone Niran after damaging winds and heavy rain struck coastal areas. Queensland's Bureau of Meterology (BoM) revealed the cyclone, causing wild weather about 235km north-east off the coast of Cairns, became a Category 1 system just after 5am today. Emergency crews have been kept busy as 40,000 homes remain without electricity this morning after powerlines were brought down by high winds and trees falling on houses.
26/2/2021
UN News
Humanitarian crisis looms in Madagascar amid drought and pandemic
In southern Madagascar, “famine-like conditions” have doubled the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance compared with last year, to more than 1.3 million. Successive droughts and a lack of jobs linked to COVID-19 restrictions are to blame, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Tuesday.
26/2/2021
South China Morning Post
Covid-19 vaccines may give you antibodies that prevent you entering China
When 26-year-old Peter Zhou graduated from medical school in New York and wished to return to Shanghai last month, he was faced with a dilemma: the antibody protection he received from a Covid-19 vaccine jab might be the very reason he could not go home.
26/2/2021
South China Morning Post
Hunt for Covid-19 origins: questions surface over China’s testing of suspect animals
In the hunt for the source of the Covid-19 disease, the World Health Organization confirmed China identified supply chains for animals sold in Wuhan, where the first known outbreak occurred, a move based on the view the virus may have first infected traded wildlife.
26/2/2021
9 News
Airports want kickstart of international travel 'within months'
Australian airport operators are calling for a phased reopening of international borders to kick-start the pandemic-stricken aviation sector.
26/2/2021
9 News
Mosquito warning issued for Victoria as Ross River virus cases rise
A spike in Ross River virus cases has been detected in Victoria, with health authorities urging people to protect themselves against mosquito bites as numbers rise.
26/2/2021
9 News
NSW vaccine rollout 'running smoothly' as restrictions ease across the state
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has moved to reassure the people of New South Wales the state's vaccine rollout is "running smoothly" despite claims of delays and setbacks.
26/2/2021
Reuters
Aged care royal commission final report an 'opportunity for fundamental change'
The long-awaited report into the state of the country's aged care sector has been delivered to Governor-General David Hurley.
26/2/2021
9 News
Facebook news ban lifted: Australian news returns to feeds after eight-day blackout in standoff with government
Facebook has lifted its ban on Australian news sites after an eight-day blackout in a sensational standoff with the Morrison government.
26/2/2021
Reuters
FDA allows storage, transport of Pfizer vaccine at higher temperatures
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved storage and transportation of COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and German partner BioNTech SE at standard freezer temperatures for up to two weeks instead of ultra-cold conditions.
26/2/2021
News Corp
Brisbane floods: Victims of Wivenhoe Dam mismanagement get $440m settlement
A long-running legal dispute over mismanagement of Wivenhoe Dam in the 2011 Brisbane floods has led to a massive $440 million settlement.
25/2/2021
ABC News
Wastewater reveals Australians ingested more than 20 tonnes of drugs in one year, spending almost $9bn
Australians spent almost $9bn on drugs in just one year, with methamphetamine the substance of choice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
25/2/2021
ABC News
Excessive dosing of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine a 'well-known risk', as Australia ramps up its vaccine rollout
The potential for giving the wrong dosage of the Pfizer vaccine is a well-known risk authorities should have been prepared for, a vaccination expert says.
25/2/2021
ABC News
COVID-19 vaccination rollout in remote Indigenous communities may fail unless more consultation is sought, experts say
There is concern the COVID-19 vaccine may be refused in remote Northern Territory communities after a mammoth effort to get it there.
25/2/2021
9 News
Aussie expats who've had COVID-19 jab amidst long UK lockdown: 'I feel privileged, I feel honoured'
Thousands of Australians have lined up this week as the coronavirus vaccine rollout finally commenced. But half a world away, many Australians have already rolled up their sleeves to be some of the first in the world fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
25/2/2021
9 News
Media code governing Facebook and Google in Australia becomes law
The Federal Government's new media code for platforms like Google and Facebook has passed the House of Representatives, making it law.
25/2/2021
9 News
Qantas posts $1b half-year loss as it plans to resume international flights
Qantas has posted a record $1.08 billion revenue half-year loss, as it announced it plans to resumes international flights in October.
25/2/2021
9 News
Olympic Games a 'game-changer' for Queensland, premier says
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has hailed the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to elevate Brisbane to preferred city for the 2032 Summer Games a "game-changer" for the state.
24/2/2021
7 News
Europe hit by COVID ‘third wave’ as vaccine rollout begins
Health authorities have reported a spike in new coronavirus cases in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Ukraine and Greece. Germany is in a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Chancellor Angela Merkel told MPs in her conservative party, two sources at the meeting told Reuters on Tuesday.
24/2/2021
Sky News
Southeast Qld lashed by severe storms
Southeast Queensland has been lashed with severe thunderstorms which brought hail, high winds and heavy rain across the region.
24/2/2021
7 News
Australian government to crack down on cyber bullies and trolls with world-first laws giving e-Safety commissioner new powers
New laws will give authorities sweeping powers to crack down on trolls - including the ability to force social media giants to remove content and unmask anonymous offenders so they can be prosecuted.
24/2/2021
SBS News
More restrictions to be eased for NSW as South Australia lifts Melbourne travel ban
Restrictions on indoor gatherings, dancing at weddings and choirs in NSW are set to be eased, with more freedom likely to come in the weeks ahead.
24/2/2021
Business Insider
Tourism operators say they will be forced to let go of 80% of workers when JobKeeper ends next month
Australia’s tourism sector is warning it will not be able to stand on its own two feet come April without further government support. When the JobKeeper wage subsidy ends at the end of March, the industry says 80% of remaining jobs will disappear while three in 10 businesses face collapse. As a major employer and with Australians still chasing refunds from cancelled 2020 travel plans, businesses claim they will be decimated.
24/2/2021
ABC News
Our 'tree-change' and 'sea-change' dreams are under threat as scientists warn about building homes in 'risky areas'
"Scattered" housing in "at risk" coastal and bush areas stretch emergency services and involve energy-intensive lifestyles. Researchers say we need to build climate-resilient communities as we recover from natural disasters. Industry experts say people may be left with worthless properties in a few decades' time if we don't act now.
24/2/2021
ABC News
COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine incorrectly administered to two patients at Brisbane aged care home
The two elderly aged care residents were given the incorrect dose by a doctor yesterday. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said an investigation is underway. The doctor who administered the doses has been stood down from the vaccine program.
23/2/2021
9 News
COVID-19 vaccine rollout renews hopes international travel could return within months
Australia's coronavirus jab rollout has renewed hopes international travel could return within months as Air New Zealand begins trialling a type of vaccine passport. Passengers travelling from Auckland to Sydney from April will use the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Travel Pass app, which links to passports. Travellers will also carry verified copies of their COVID-19 test results and vaccination records, once the jabs become widely available.
23/2/2021
Reuters
About a third of Texans still facing disrupted water supplies
Some 8.8 million people in Texas, about a third of the state’s population, still had issues with their water supply as of early Monday, authorities told Reuters, after a record-breaking freeze knocked out power stations last week.
23/2/2021
Sky News
Infectious diseases physician 'concerned' too many will choose not be vaccinated
Infectious Diseases Physician Professor Paul Griffin told Sky News he is concerned some people have reservations about the COVID-19 vaccines and there might not be as much uptake as is needed to combat the virus. Mr Griffin stressed the benefits of the vaccine program in Australia would be directly linked to the uptake.
23/2/2021
ABC News
Israel's coronavirus vaccine scheme is the fastest in the world. Now it's being put to the test
Israel has the world's highest vaccination rate per capita. Nearly half of Israelis have received one shot, while a third have received both doses. Permits have been issued to the vaccinated so they can resume leisure activities.
23/2/2021
ABC News
Second vaccine shipment arrives as more leaders get jabs, but Health Minister warns there will be hiccups
Australia's second shipment of Pfizer vaccines has arrived, and another is expected next week. 80,000 doses per week are to be delivered, before the program doubles in mid-March. Health minister Greg Hunt said there will be some doses lost in the rollout.
22/2/2021
9 News
Queensland heatwave to peak today with temperatures likely to break records
A severe heatwave sweeping Queensland will peak today as record breaking temperatures grip parts of the state.
22/2/2021
Reuters
Japan vaccine supplies to be limited, delaying shots for elderly: minister
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will only receive limited doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the first months of the inoculation rollout and shots for the elderly will be distributed gradually, the country’s inoculation chief said.
22/2/2021
Reuters
Australia won't change planned content laws despite Facebook block: lawmaker
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will not change proposed laws that would make Alphabet Inc’s Google and Facebook pay news outlets for content, a senior lawmaker said on Monday, despite vocal opposition from the Big Tech firms.
22/2/2021
Reuters
China calls for reset in Sino-U.S. relations with Biden administration
BEIJING (Reuters) - Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi called on the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to work with Beijing to reopen dialogue between the two countries to restore a bilateral relationship damaged under the presidency of Donald Trump.
22/2/2021
ABC News
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine rollout is underway in Australia. Here are your questions answered
The Pfizer vaccine is now being administered in Australia, and the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is not far behind. Read on for answers to all your vaccine-related questions.
22/2/2021
Zero Hedge
Remember When Fauci Called Ebola Quarantines "Draconian", Warned Of "Unintended Consequences"
When it came to a proposed mandatory quarantine for his colleagues, and not the American general public, Dr. Fauci was singing a very different tune on quarantines, which the government health bureaucrat has now been championing in the United States for the better part of an entire year.
19/2/2021
7 News
Alcohol sales up 26.7 per cent in 2020
Alcohol sales in 2020 spiked in all months impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
19/2/2021
7 News
Forgotten subscriptions for fitness apps and on-demand services biting hip pockets
Fitness apps, video-on-demand services, online education tools and virtual conferencing all reached fever-pitch popularity in recent months.
19/2/2021
7 News
Global syringe shortage means precious doses of COVID-19 vaccine will be wasted
It’s been revealed that up to one sixth of Australia’s COVID-19 vaccines could be wasted.
19/2/2021
7 News
JobKeeper must end in March: Frydenberg
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has told his coalition colleagues that it is important the JobKeeper wage subsidy ends in March as planned.
19/2/2021
9 News
Severe storm warning for parts of NSW as heavy rain sweeps across eastern states
Severe thunderstorms have dumped heavy rain over parts of eastern NSW this morning with more rain and storms on the way later today.
19/2/2021
Zero Hedge
NYC Waitress Fired For Waiting To Take COVID Vax Over Pregnancy Concerns
A waitress in New York City was fired after she told her employer that she wanted to wait and see if the COVID-19 vaccine - which has been in use for less than nine months - has any side affects on pregnancy.
19/2/2021
Reuters
Undeterred by Facebook news blackout, Australia commits to content law
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison vowed on Friday to press ahead with laws to force Facebook Inc to pay news outlets for content, saying he had received support from world leaders after the social media giant blacked out all media.
18/2/2021
ABC News
Why Australia's property prices will continue to soar
Across the suburbs, they're lining up for home inspections. With COVID-19 restrictions, only a handful are allowed in at a time. The queues, for units in particular, stretch down the stairwells and spill outside. In some regional areas, particularly coastal locales, the situation has reached fever pitch.
18/2/2021
ABC News
Unemployment and underemployment fall as COVID recovery continues
Both unemployment and underemployment have continued their downward trends in further positive signs that Australia's economy is bouncing back quickly from COVID-19.
18/2/2021
Zero Hedge
New COVID Levels Slump To Lowest In Months, 1/3rd Of US Troops Reject Jabs
Across the US, Europe and most of the world, new COVID cases and deaths continue to decline as New York State announces more summertime reopening plans for summer camps, indoor family-entertainment centers and amusement parks and the EU strikes a major deal for more COVID jabs.
18/2/2021
Reuters
Pfizer says South African variant could significantly reduce vaccine protection
Social media giant Facebook will prohibit publishers and people in Australia from sharing or (Reuters) - A laboratory study suggests that the South African variant of the coronavirus may reduce antibody protection from the Pfizer Inc/BioNTech SE vaccine by two-thirds, and it is not clear if the shot will be effective against the mutation, the companies said on Wednesday.
18/2/2021
Reuters
U.S. mail delivery still facing 'unacceptable delays', group of senators says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. mail deliveries are still facing “unacceptable delays” months after the problem first appeared and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy should explain why he has not fixed the issue, according to a group of 33 U.S. senators on Wednesday.
18/2/2021
9 News
Facebook bans Australian publishers and people from sharing or viewing news content
Social media giant Facebook will prohibit publishers and people in Australia from sharing or viewing Australian and international news content in response to Australia's proposed media bargaining laws — a move Nine says will inhibit news creators from sharing quality news and information.
16/2/2021
Reuters
Incoming WTO head warns 'vaccine nationalism' could slow pandemic recovery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Trade Organization’s incoming chief on Monday warned against “vaccine nationalism’ that would slow progress in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and could erode economic growth for all countries - rich and poor.
16/2/2021
ABC News
Payroll jobs have recovered to the same level as they were a year ago, according to new data
16/2/2021
Business News Australia
Coronavirus Australia live news: World Health Organization says 'vaccine passports' would be more of a hindrance than a help
World Health Organization emergencies chief Michael Ryan says vaccine passports would be difficult to enforce, with vaccination rollouts so unbalanced across the globe.
16/2/2021
ABC News
Influenza or the COVID vaccines Pfizer or AstraZeneca — which jab should Australians get first?
Australians are being advised to wait two weeks between getting the flu jab and COVID-19 vaccine — but it doesn't matter which one you have first, according to the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
15/2/2021
Business News Australia
Herd immunity is the end game for the pandemic, but the AstraZeneca vaccine won't get us there
In the past fortnight, two vaccine stories made headlines around the world. Novavax announced spectacular results for its phase 3 trial, while preliminary data suggest the AstraZeneca vaccine is ineffective against the South African variant.
15/2/2021
The Independent
UN: Over 2 million Yemeni children may starve in 2021
The United Nations is sounding the alarm over projections that more than 2 million Yemeni children under age 5 are facing starvation this year.
15/2/2021
ABC News
Guinea declares new Ebola outbreak after death of three people
Guinea has declared a new Ebola outbreak, the first resurgence of the disease there since the world's worst outbreak in 2013-2016.
15/2/2021
9 News
The UK government said on Sunday that it reached its goal of giving at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot to the most vulnerable people in the country, increasing pressure on ministers to clarify when they will ease a lockdown imposed in early January.
12/2/2021
ABC News
Inside CSL, where Australia's Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines are being made
At the back of a building in Melbourne's northern outskirts is a long, narrow room roughly the area of a tennis court.
12/2/2021
South China Morning Post
China bans BBC World News, saying it ‘seriously violated’ Chinese media regulations
China has banned the global television news channel BBC World News from broadcasting inside the country, according to the National Radio and Television Administration.
12/2/2021
BBC
Australia's locally-made coronavirus vaccine to begin rolling off production line, as Scott Morrison says program 'on track'
Scott Morrison said Australia's coronavirus vaccination program is on track, with doses of the vaccine being made in Melbourne to roll off the production line "in a matter of weeks".
12/2/2021
9 News
Storms in the north and wind warnings for NSW coast
A calm day of weather is forecast for most states and territories around Australia to end the week.
12/2/2021
9 News
Roving teams bring COVID-19 vaccine shots to homeless in UK
In a pandemic, homeless people face being more forgotten than they already are. But not by doctors like Dr Anil Mehta, who is on a mission to bring the coronavirus vaccine to those hardest to reach and often most at risk of getting sick in east London.
11/2/2021
BBC
Three Cubans survive on coconuts for 33 days on uninhabited island
hree people believed to have been stranded on an uninhabited island in the Bahamas for 33 days have been rescued, the US Coast Guard says.
11/2/2021
CNN
Double masking can block 92% of infectious particles, CDC says
Researchers found that layering a cloth mask over a medical procedural mask, such as a disposable blue surgical mask, can block 92.5% of potentially infectious particles from escaping by creating a tighter fit and eliminating leakage.
11/2/2021
Reuters
Iran produces uranium metal, IAEA says, in latest breach of deal
Iran has carried out its plan to produce uranium metal, the U.N. atomic watchdog confirmed on Wednesday, despite Western powers having warned Iran that would breach their 2015 nuclear deal as uranium metal can be used to make the core of an atom bomb.
11/2/2021
9 News
Severe heat warning in place for two states as temperatures to hit 40 degrees, fire ban in place
Temperatures could reach as high as 40 degrees in Victoria's northwest today. Strong winds forecast have prompted a total fire ban for the Mallee and Wimmera, but there's promise of a late cool change. The heat is expected to travel west, with the mercury set to hit 38 degrees in Adelaide. There is also a severe fire danger warning in place for parts of the state's east.
11/2/2021
Sky News
SA slams shut border to Greater Melbourne amid eight case cluster
South Australia has banned residents from Greater Melbourne after Victoria's hotel quarantine cluster grew to eight cases. The 'snap decision' saw tough border restrictions re-imposed at midnight however exemptions are available for essential workers, South Australian residents and people moving to the state.
11/2/2021
ABC News
Australia loses another oil refinery, leaving our fuel supply vulnerable to regional crises
In the space of four months, Australia has lost half of its remaining oil refineries. In October, BP announced it was closing its Kwinana oil refinery in Perth and converting it into a fuel import terminal. The oil major said the refinery — Australia's largest — was no longer economically viable.
11/2/2021
ABC News
Australia's mortgage distress hotspot revealed as end of JobKeeper scheme looms
More than 80,000 Australians are still deferring their home loans, according to data from the Australian Banking Association. Victoria has the highest percentage of mortgage deferrals still outstanding. Some businesses and homeowners are worried they are being left behind as the economy recovers.
10/2/2021
ABC News
National Lost Crop Register surpasses $45 million in losses at farmgate value due to worker shortage
The deterioration of the seasonal workforce is having devastating impacts on the Australian horticultural industry, and with the worse yet to come, it is consumers who will wear the cost.
10/2/2021
ABC News
COVID-19, Hendra and SARS: How scientists trace viruses through animals to their source
The animal origins of the first SARS virus SARS-CoV-1, which made to jump to humans in 2002, wasn't nailed until 2017, when Chinese scientists reported that they'd found all the genetic building blocks of SARS in a single population of horseshoe bats.
10/2/2021
SBS News
'Extremely unlikely' COVID-19 leaked from a Wuhan lab, WHO says
The head of a World Health Organization-led team probing the origins of COVID-19 said bats remain a likely source and that transmission of the virus via frozen food is a possibility that warrants further investigation, but he ruled out a lab leak.
10/2/2021
SBS News
Returned travellers evacuated from Melbourne's Holiday Inn as coronavirus outbreak grows
Returned travellers are being evacuated from the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport and their quarantine will be extended after a COVID-19 outbreak at the hotel.
10/2/2021
SBS News
Returned travellers evacuated from Melbourne's Holiday Inn as coronavirus outbreak grows
Returned travellers are being evacuated from the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport and their quarantine will be extended after a COVID-19 outbreak at the hotel.
9/2/2021
SBS News
Australians to access coronavirus vaccine certificates on smartphone apps
The vaccine certificates may be needed to gain entry to certain high-risk venues such as aged care facilities, though the states and territories will decide on how they are regulated and used.
9/2/2021
ABC News
Quarantining Australians sound the alarm on ordinary guests staying in COVID hotels
James Whitehouse realised members of the public were staying in his quarantine hotel when he saw them on balconies. WA Premier Mark McGowan says he has been advised the use of quarantine hotels by members of the public "is not a risk". WA Health says quarantine hotels which are open to the public must be "clearly divided into two very separate areas".
9/2/2021
Zero Hedge
US Hosts Pacific War Games With Australia & Japan Aimed At Countering Russia, China Attack
The joint exercises, dubbed 'Cope North 2021' began last Wednesday and are scheduled to run all the way to February 19. Crucially the exercises will included F-35A joint strike fighters, marking the first time the advanced stealth jets are deployed to Andersen Air Force Base at Guam.
9/2/2021
Reuters
Hackers try to contaminate Florida town's water supply through computer breach
Hackers broke into the computer system of a facility that treats water for about 15,000 people near Tampa, Florida and sought to add a dangerous level of additive to the water supply, the Pinellas County Sheriff said on Monday.
8/2/2021
Zero Hedge
Washington Post Says COVID Lab Accident "Plausible" And "Must Be Investigated"
Exactly one year ago today, Zero Hedge was 'enjoying' our suspension by Twitter after we pointed out that scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology had been experimenting on bat coronaviruses, and that investigators trying to determine the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak might want to have a word with them.
8/2/2021
ABC News
Ecologists buy 1,000-acre blue gum plantation and transform it into wetland it once was
It was 2016, Mark Bachmann was stumped. He and his team of scientists were three years into transforming a huge tract of agricultural land into the wetland it once was, but had no idea how their small, regional, not-for-profit could negotiate the final step: to buy 1,000 acres of commercial blue gum plantation.
8/2/2021
DW News
South Africa suspends rollout of Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine
One study, involving around 2,000 people, found the vaccine offered "minimal protection" against mild and moderate cases of Covid-19. The government says it will use other vaccines in the meantime.
8/2/2021
9 Now
COVID-19 'patient zero' tells WHO scientists he did not visit Wuhan wet market linked to coronavirus
The first reported case of COVID-19 in China has told investigating scientists he did not visit the Wuhan wet market where the virus is believed to have first jumped from animals to humans.
8/2/2021
9 News
COVID-19 NSW alert list: Get tested if you have been to these venues
If you have been to the below locations, you must immediately self-isolate and get a coronavirus test. You must remain in quarantine for the full two weeks even if the test returns a negative result.
8/2/2021
9 News
Flooding emergency hits parts of Western Australia, damage bill tipped to be in the millions
Days after a bushfire emergency gripped parts of Western Australia, the state is now being lashed with severe rainfall and strong winds.
5/2/2021
CATO Institute
Key Concepts of Libertarianism
The key concepts of libertarianism have developed over many centuries. The first inklings of them can be found in ancient China, Greece, and Israel; they began to be developed into something resembling modern libertarian philosophy in the work of such seventeenth‐ and eighteenth‐.century thinkers as John Locke, David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine.
5/2/2021
Ron Paul Institute
Libertarian Terrorists?
The Department of Homeland Security issued on Wednesday a nationwide terror alert lasting until April 30. The alert warns of potential terrorist attacks from Americans who are “ideologically motivated” and have “objections to the exercise of government authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives.”
5/2/2021
Zero Hedge
Imagine If The Virus Had Never Been Detected
Among those who’ve watched the tragic and needless lockdowns unfold over the last 11 months, a frequent question has come up: what if the coronavirus had spread, but had never been diagnosed or detected? Would life have been any different absent the discovery of what has caused a massive global panic among politicians?
5/2/2021
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: France’s Emmanuel Macron warns of Chinese vaccine risks
French President Emmanuel Macron warned Thursday about the lack of information about China’s coronavirus vaccines, saying they might even encourage the development of variants if they are not effective.
5/2/2021
South China Morning Post
https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3120565/pandemic-leaves-hong-kongs-ginza-style-retail-towers-half-empty-bars
Landlords of Hong Kong’s “Ginza-style” high-rises are struggling to retain tenants as restaurants and bars – normally their bread and butter – battle to stay afloat during the pandemic.
5/2/2021
9 News
Several states on alert for severe wind, rain and thunderstorms
Severe weather warnings are in place for several states with heavy rain, damaging winds and severe thunderstorms forecast to lash large parts of the country today.
5/2/2021
ABC News
'Disturbing' footage of 1984 mouse plague re-emerges as new mice invasion sweeps NSW and Queensland
A video from the 1980s has those living through the eastern states' current mouse plague twitchy about the 2021 pest invasion worsening if weather conditions continue.
5/2/2021
ABC News
Highly infectious strain of coronavirus 'circulating in corridors' of hotel Grand Chancellor, Queensland Premier says
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has foreshadowed a shake-up of COVID-19 hotel quarantine to include tighter rules around mask wearing.
5/2/2021
ABC News
How much more contagious is the new strain of COVID B117 detected in the UK?
As countries around the world grapple with the challenges of rolling out urgently needed COVID-19 vaccines, health authorities are now facing another major hurdle: a more contagious form of coronavirus.
5/2/2021
ABC News
Victorian coronavirus hotel quarantine staff member has highly contagious UK strain, genomics confirm
Genomic sequencing has confirmed the hotel quarantine staff member who contracted COVID-19 has the more infectious UK strain of the virus, Victoria's Chief Health Officer says.
5/2/2021
ABC News
Perth's post-COVID lockdown rules explained, from mask-wearing to nightclubbing
After a week unlike any other in Western Australia's recent memory, the end is now in sight for a lockdown that has kept 2 million people inside for five days.
4/2/2021
Sky News
Over 600 players and officials in quarantine after Aussie Open worker tests positive
Coronavirus restrictions have once again returned to Victoria after a worker linked to the Australian Open quarantine program returned a positive result, ending the state’s 28-day virus free streak. The tennis competition now hangs in the balance with up to 600 players and officials sent back into quarantine until they return a negative result.
4/2/2021
Sky News
TGA concludes Pfizer not threatening to elderly following further investigation
The Australian Health Editor Natasha Robinson said a TGA investigation was carried out in conjunction with the European Medicine’s regulator. She said the conclusion was “all of the people who died were extremely frail, some of them were terminally ill, most of them had only weeks or months to live anyway”.
4/2/2021
Business Insider
AstraZeneca says it's developing a 'next generation' COVID-19 vaccine to target fast-spreading variants, and it could be ready by Autumn
UK pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University are co-developing a ‘next generation’ COVID-19 vaccine. These vaccines will be designed to combat coronavirus variants, including those found in the UK and South Africa.
4/2/2021
SBS News
At least 71 homes lost to Perth bushfire as WA faces 'disasters on two fronts'
The massive blaze with a 126km perimeter is moving in a northwesterly direction along the city's coastal plain after destroying 71 homes near the hills town of Wooroloo on Monday night.
4/2/2021
ABC News
Fruit and vegetable growers' mental health declines with no end in sight to worker shortage, new data reveals
Crop losses from labour shortages have more than doubled in the last month, costing farmers more than $43 million. Nearly 25 per cent of growers report a decline in mental health and physical health. Two-thirds of growers report financial stress and some are at risk of foreclosure.
4/2/2021
ABC News
Daniel Andrews announces snap coronavirus restrictions for Victoria after hotel quarantine worker tests positive
Victoria has reintroduced mandatory mask rules, reduced the cap on visitors in homes and paused an increase on the number of people allowed in offices after a hotel quarantine worker contracted COVID-19.
3/2/2021
Reuters
Noisy anti-coup protest reverberates in Myanmar's largest city
The din of banging pots and honking car horns reverberated through Myanmar’s biggest city of Yangon late on Tuesday in the first widespread protest against the military coup that overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
3/2/2021
Reuters
Iran deepens breach of nuclear deal at underground enrichment site
Iran has deepened a key breach of its 2015 nuclear deal, enriching uranium with a larger number of advanced centrifuge machines in an underground plant as it faces off with the new U.S. administration on salvaging the accord.
3/2/2021
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Cambodian scientists find close match for pathogen in samples collected in 2010
Viral sequences in samples from horseshoe bats have 92 per cent similarity to Covid-19 pathogen, researchers say Closest known relative to the coronavirus was a bat virus found in Yunnan province, which is a 96 per cent match
3/2/2021
ABC News
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine has 'high efficacy' of 91.6 per cent, according to Lancet study
Scientists gave Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine the green light on Tuesday saying it was almost 92 per cent effective in fighting COVID-19 based on peer-reviewed late-stage trial results published in The Lancet international medical journal.
3/2/2021
ABC News
Perth Hills bushfire conditions set to worsen as number of homes lost revised up to 71
Authorities in Western Australia say 71 homes are now known to have been destroyed in the bushfire emergency east of Perth. Hundreds of people have spent the night in evacuation centres and an emergency warning remains in place for the out-of-control blaze, which started in Wooroloo on Monday and is continuing to threaten lives and homes.
2/2/2021
ABC News
La Niña rain hasn't arrived in drought-hit western Queensland — and February isn't looking much better
The La Niña still hasn't presented itself in drought-stricken western Queensland. The weather bureau is forecasting average to below-average rainfall for the region in February. Graziers say even if rain does fall it may be too late to make any substantial difference to grass.
2/2/2021
Sky News
Further tests reveal WA security guard contracted infectious UK strain
The Perth security guard who contracted COVID-19, triggering a five-day snap lockdown, has tested positive for the contagious UK strain of the virus.
2/2/2021
BBC News
Myanmar military coup: 'Our world turned upside down overnight'
It said the top army commander was in charge and a one-year state of emergency had been declared. The country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, had been detained, along with other members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
2/2/2021
ABC News
Victorian workplaces to return to 75 per cent capacity next week amid no new community COVID infections
Victoria has recorded 27 consecutive days with no community transmission. Offices are currently restricted to 50 per cent capacity in the private sector and 25 per cent in the public sector. The Victorian Government wants to extend the state of emergency for another nine months.
2/2/2021
ABC News
NSW orders West Australian arrivals into five-day lockdown to stop spread of virulent UK strain
More than 1,100 people in New South Wales have been ordered into a five-day "lockdown" and will be tested for COVID-19 after visiting Western Australia, while the virulent UK strain was potentially circulating in Perth.
2/2/2021
7 News
Perth Hills Wooroloo bushfire injures firefighter, threatens more homes
An out-of-control bushfire burning near the Perth Hills has engulfed at least three homes and threatened more, with some locals told it was too late to leave.
1/2/2021
9 News
WA communities urged to organise emergency kits amid tropical cyclone fears
Coastal Western Australia communities have been told to brace for "cyclonic weather" today as heavy rain and gusty winds could develop into a tropical cyclone.
1/2/2021
Perth Now
Emergency bushfire alert near Perth Hills
An emergency alert has been issued for a bushfire threatening lives and homes in the small town of Wooroloo near the Perth Hills.
1/2/2021
ABC News
Coronavirus Australia live news: WA Premier Mark McGowan set to address media, miners included on state's essential workers list
WA Premier Mark McGowan is giving a press conference, as the state's police commissioner says those working in the resources sectors are on the essential workers list as "they generate about one third of the nation's GDP".
1/2/2021
CDC
Considerations for Wearing Masks
Your mask helps protect those around you COVID-19 spreads mainly from person to person through respiratory droplets. Respiratory droplets travel into the air when you cough, sneeze, talk, shout, or sing. These droplets can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are near you or they may breathe these droplets in.
1/2/2021
Bloomberg
Japan Discovers New Types of U.K. Coronavirus Strain
Three new types of the U.K. coronavirus strain, previously not detected in Japan, were discovered in patients at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, according to a research group studying Covid-19 cases at the hospital.
1/2/2021
Zero Hedge
Glitches Sabotage Vaccine Rollout Across US; EU Plays 'Hardball' As Battle For Doses Heats Up
Across the US., a vaccination campaign that was meant to reverse the tide of the pandemic and spur the nation’s economic recovery is getting bogged down by technical glitches and software woes. Cash-strapped public health departments are trying to keep their websites from crashing while booking millions of appointments, tracking unpredictable inventory, and logging how many shots they give.
1/2/2021
Reuters
China's factory recovery slows in January as COVID-19 returns
BEIJING (Reuters) - China’s factory activity grew at the slowest pace in five months in January, hit by a wave of domestic coronavirus infections, but still in line with the ongoing recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.
1/2/2021
7 News
WA’s confirmed COVID-19 case leads to 60 close contacts being identified
A massive 60 close contacts have been identified for the COVID infected security guard at the centre of Perth’s coronavirus scramble.
1/2/2021
9 News
Large parts of WA begins snap five-day lockdown after hotel security guard tests positive, possibly to UK variant
Nearly two million people across Perth are this morning waking to their first of five days in hard lockdown after a hotel security guard testing positive to COVID-19, with fears it could be the highly infectious UK strain.
1/2/2021
9 News
States and territories border rules - everything you need to know about the changes across the country
As two million people across Perth begin the first of a tough five-day lockdown, the move has sparked a raft of changes at borders across the country.
29/1/2021
9 News
New malaria mosquito emerges in African cities and experts are worried
A new malaria mosquito is emerging in African cities, with potentially devastating consequences for those living there, according to a new study.
29/1/2021
9 News
How many variants of the coronavirus are there?
How many variants of the coronavirus are there? There are many circulating around the world, but health experts are primarily concerned with the emergence of three.
29/1/2021
Zero Hedge
Well, hello there. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we live in a vastly different world than the last time I posted here. The social landscape, political, and, it seems, everyday life is trending vastly different since 2020, Covid, and the national elections.
29/1/2021
South China Morning Post
Germany recommends AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine only for people under 65
AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine should only be given to people aged between 18 and 64, Germany’s vaccine committee said in a draft recommendation, a day ahead of a decision by European regulators on whether to approve the drugmaker’s shot.
29/1/2021
South China Morning Post
China’s new KJ-600 surveillance aircraft completes latest test flight
China put its new carrier-based early warning aircraft through its paces again on Wednesday, a military source said, after images of the plane were shared online.
28/1/2021
Sky News
New South Wales to ease COVID-19 restrictions from Friday
Greater Sydney will see a relaxation of its coronavirus restrictions from midnight tonight following 10 straight days without a locally acquired case.
28/1/2021
Reuters
Pfizer vaccine only slightly less effective against key South African mutations: study
Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine appeared to only lose a small bit of effectiveness against an engineered virus with three key mutations from the new variant found in South Africa, according to a laboratory study conducted by the U.S. drugmaker.
28/1/2021
Reuters
Australia takes on Google advertising dominance amid wider media shakeup
Australia announced on Thursday it may let internet users choose which data they give to Big Tech companies like Google, limiting the internet giants’ ability to access users’ online histories to cross-sell products.
27/1/2021
9 News
NSW announces sweeping changes to coronavirus restrictions
Coronavirus restrictions in NSW will ease from this Friday with up to 30 people allowed in homes and masks no longer mandatory in some indoor settings.
27/1/2021
Zero Hedge
Thanks To COVID-19, China Is Now The World Leader For Foreign Direct Investment
China is now the world's "top destination" for foreign direct investment ("FDI"). FDI captures things like foreign companies building infrastructure and making acquisitions of local companies.
27/1/2021
7 News
Two further cases linked to New Zealand's 'COVID hotel'
Two more people have tested positive for COVID-19 after completing quarantine at the same New Zealand hotel as the country’s recent community case.
27/1/2021
ABC News
Consumer prices rose in 2020, despite recession, as childcare fees return and health costs climb
Prices for everyday items, such as fruit and vegetables, jumped around wildly last year.
27/1/2021
9 News
Tasmania takes crown as Australia's best state economy during COVID-19
Tasmania has been named Australia's best-performing state economy for the fourth quarter in a row, boosting numbers across the board despite the threat of a global pandemic.
22/1/2021
7 News
Stranded Aussies forced into 'Hunger Games'-type battle to secure plane tickets home
Around 8.30am London time on Wednesday, thousands of stranded Australians (registered as vulnerable), received an email from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade alerting them to a “limited number of seats”.
22/1/2021
7 News
Stranded Aussies forced into 'Hunger Games'-type battle to secure plane tickets home
Around 8.30am London time on Wednesday, thousands of stranded Australians (registered as vulnerable), received an email from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade alerting them to a “limited number of seats”.
22/1/2021
7 News
Emirates to resume flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane after backlash
Emirates has announced that it will resume passenger flights to Australia’s east coast, just days after it pulled out of the routes.
22/1/2021
7 News
Major issues identified in face masks distributed from Australia's national medical stockpile
It’s been revealed that some of the face masks distributed to aged care homes and hospitals from the Federal Government’s National Medical Stockpile are “defective”.
21/1/2021
Zero Hedge
Biden Reverses WHO Withdrawal Plan, Taps Fauci To Lead US Delegation This Week
President Biden has tapped Dr. Anthony Fauci to lead a US delegation at the World Health Organization's annual meetings, as the new president and his team seek to immediately reverse President Trump's plan to withdraw from the international aid group, according to CNBC.
21/1/2021
The New Humanitarian
2020 in review: Food security
Conflict, poverty, and economic shocks drove food crises in “hotspots” in almost every region of the world in 2020.
21/1/2021
ABC News
ACT Budget to offer free registration for electric cars and deliver promised loans scheme
Free registration for electric cars and interest-free loans of up to $15,000 will be funded in next month's ACT Budget, with the goal of pushing Canberra towards a carbon-neutral future.
21/1/2021
ABC News
ACT Budget to offer free registration for electric cars and deliver promised loans scheme
Free registration for electric cars and interest-free loans of up to $15,000 will be funded in next month's ACT Budget, with the goal of pushing Canberra towards a carbon-neutral future.
21/1/2021
9 News
Western Australia braces for possible cyclone while east heats up
Residents in Western Australia's north-west are bracing for heavy rain and destructive winds as the state's first cyclone of the season approaches.
21/1/2021
9 News
'Rare' heatwave to hit several states over long weekend
Temperatures in Australia's south east are set to surge over the long weekend with residents in several states and territories warned of severe heatwave conditions.
21/1/2021
9 News
COVID-19 restrictions to ease across Greater Brisbane
Greater Brisbane will revert back to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in December, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced, as the state marked another day of no new community cases.
19/1/2021
Zero Hedge
US Continues To Fly B-52s As 'Show of Force' Against Iran Right Up To Inauguration
Exemplifying US hostility toward Iran, America carries out B-52 overflights of the region with increased regularity, often twice a month. The US Central Command issued a statement confirming another such overflight this weekend.
19/1/2021
SBS News
Human activity is responsible for nearly all global warming, new research says
Virtually all global warming since the industrial era is caused by manmade emissions, according to research published Monday that concludes Earth's natural processes contribute only "negligibly" to climate change.
19/1/2021
Business Insider
The world is 'on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure' by failing to get vaccines to poorer countries, the WHO warns
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was not right that younger, healthier adults in rich countries are vaccinated before health workers and older people in poorer countries.
19/1/2021
CNN
Workers trapped in gold mine for more than a week send note to rescuers
Twelve miners trapped underground for more than a week in a Chinese gold mine have managed to get a note to rescuers, state media reported Monday.
19/1/2021
ABC News
More storms, rain, hail on the way as south-east Queensland cleans up after major flooding event
More thunderstorms, rain and hail are set to hit south-east Queensland for a second day. The SES received 170 calls for help overnight and rescued three people from floodwaters. The QFES urged people to never drive through floodwaters.
19/1/2021
SBS News
Norway has found no direct link between Pfizer coronavirus vaccine and elderly post-jab deaths
Norway said no link had been established between Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine and post-vaccination deaths in the country, but recommended doctors consider the overall health of the most frail before giving them the jab.
19/1/2021
Perth Now
Tropical cyclone warning for Pilbara and Kimberley regions in WA’s far north
Residents in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions are being warned to batten down the hatches as a low forming over WA’s north coast could develop into a tropical cyclone this week.
18/1/2021
Perth Now
Oakford bushfire: Emergency warning in place for out-of-control blaze
Fire crews who have worked through the night are continuing to battle an out-of-control blaze in Perth’s southern suburbs.
18/1/2021
Perth Now
Coronavirus crisis: Masks now mandatory at domestic airports, with fines up to $50K for those who don’t abide
Failing to wear a face mask at a WA airport now attracts a fine of up to $50,000 after new directions enforcing a decision of National Cabinet came into effect.
18/1/2021
Perth Now
Firefighters battle blaze in Gingin after lightning causes multiple fires
More than 100 firefighters and emergency services workers are battling a blaze in Gingin after dry lightning caused multiple fires to start throughout the region.
18/1/2021
Perth Now
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox warns industry ‘powerless’ over Beijing threat
The government has been warned industry is ‘powerless’ to intervene in the China trade war, but the trade minister says it is finding alternative customers.
18/1/2021
SBS News
Authorities stress COVID-19 vaccines will be safe in Australia after reports of elderly deaths in Norway
Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack has reassured that any coronavirus vaccine rolled out in Australia will be safe, following reports of multiple deaths in elderly people in Norway linked to the Pfizer vaccine.
18/1/2021
SBS News
Bushfire burning south of Perth has been contained but remains unpredictable, WA premier says
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has urged people not to "stickybeak" as firefighters battle a major bushfire threatening lives and homes in Perth's southern suburbs.
18/1/2021
Time
The COVID-19 Virus Is Mutating. What Does That Mean for Vaccines?
As we enter the second year of living with the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus is celebrating its invasion of the world’s population with yet more mutated forms that help it to spread more easily from person to person.
18/1/2021
Stat News
We lost to SARS-CoV-2 in 2020. We can defeat B-117 in 2021
We are barely a week into 2021 and already there are urgent warnings about a novel pandemic virus strain spreading surreptitiously and exponentially across the world.
14/1/2021
RT News
Australian scientists urge pause on deployment of AstraZeneca vaccine over efficacy concerns, suggest Pfizer or Moderna instead
Scientists in Australia have called for a halt to the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine, claiming recent data has cast doubt on the inoculation’s ability to create herd immunity.
14/1/2021
9 News
Chinese city tests millions amid fresh outbreak
Millions of people were lining up Wednesday in sub-zero temperatures to receive a second round of coronavirus tests in a city south of Beijing, the heart of China’s most serious latest outbreak of COVID-19.
14/1/2021
South China Morning Post
Hunt for Italy’s coronavirus patient zero finds a case in November 2019
Peer-reviewed research shows the virus was present in a stored skin sample taken from a Milan woman with a mysterious illness. Doctors remembered her when they started to see similar rashes in some Covid-19 patients.
14/1/2021
Sky News
WHO to arrive in Wuhan for COVID-19 study
A World Health Organisation inspection team is due to arrive in China for an investigation into the origins of the pandemic. A team of experts from 10 different countries will touchdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan today.
14/1/2021
News.com.au
Queensland cluster: Health authorities scramble as virus creeps across floor seven of the Hotel Grand Chancellor
Queensland health authorities have spent the night scrambling for answers over how six existing cases of the UK’s highly infectious COVID strain were linked to the same quarantine hotel despite having no contact.
14/1/2021
ABC News
Queensland considers mining camps for quarantining travellers with four new cases recorded
The Queensland Government will consider using mining camps to quarantine travellers as the state grapples with a cluster of the highly-contagious UK strain of virus.
13/1/2021
South China Morning Post
China-Australia relations: breaking free of dependency on Australian iron ore would take years, but where is China looking?
China has interests in overseas mines with tonnes of iron ore reserves, yet most of it remains inaccessible amid bureaucratic wrangling and limited capital. Using more scrap steel is also an option for diversifying China’s iron ore supply, but this too is not without its hurdles and limitations.
13/1/2021
ABC News
Queensland woman who stayed in hotel quarantine raises concerns over staff not wearing masks
The woman says she saw cleaners and people delivering food at the hotel not wearing masks. Queensland Health says all hotel quarantine workers must wear appropriate PPE. Authorities are investigating how a cleaner contracted COVID-19 at a Brisbane quarantine hotel.
13/1/2021
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia live: Number of unlinked cases in NSW grows to 14
Four weeks after Sydney's outbreak began, there's a growing number of particular cases Gladys Berejiklian says authorities are concerned about.
13/1/2021
Sky News
Scientists call for pause to AstraZeneca vaccine rollout
Scientists are calling for an immediate pause on the roll out of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Australia over fears it may not be effective enough. Phase three clinical trials show the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to be just 62 per cent effective when given in the recommended dose.
13/1/2021
7 News
Rise in administrators called for traders
The number of administrators being called to save battling businesses rose by more than 23 per cent in December, ahead of special pandemic protections lapsing.
12/1/2021
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia live: Nation to have problems with COVID until 'at least next year'
Aussies hoping for a better 2021 are in for a rude shock after an infectious disease expert revealed the grim reality of what our next 12 months look like.
12/1/2021
Sky News
Pursuing elimination strategy 'completely impractical'
Nationals Senator Matt Canavan says Mark McGowan's goal of pursuing an elimination strategy is completely impractical as it would mean shutting Australians out of the country.
12/1/2021
ABC News
Victoria's COVID-19 travel permit system goes live as more stories of forced hotel quarantine emerge
The Victorian travel permit system went live about 9pm last night. Users said it took "only minutes" to get approval. However some travellers who returned to Victoria before the new policy told the ABC they were forced into hotel quarantine despite having exemptions.
11/1/2021
Washington Post
The coronavirus intensified a hunger crisis last year, but 2021 could be worse
The coronavirus pandemic unleashed cascades of suffering in 2020. People around the globe faced the threat of the virus, along with the devastating ripple effects of efforts to control its spread.
11/1/2021
Zero Hedge
China Scrubs Critical Wuhan Lab Data; Deletes 300 Studies - Including Research By 'Batwoman'
The Chinese government has come under fresh scrutiny over accusations that officials scrubbed crucial online data about the Wuhan Institute of Virology - the controversial laboratory suspected of being the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic.
11/1/2021
Reuters
New coronavirus strain first seen in Britain confirmed in Mexico
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The new strain of the coronavirus first detected in Britain has been confirmed in Mexico for the first time, health officials in northern Tamaulipas state said in a statement on Sunday, adding a new layer of concern to an already severe national outbreak.
11/1/2021
9 News
Child tests positive to COVID-19 overseas after attending Armadale childcare centre
A child has tested positive to coronavirus overseas, two days after attending a childcare centre in Melbourne's inner south-east.
11/1/2021
ABC News
NSW records three new COVID-19 cases, eight in hotel quarantine
Urgent genome sequencing is underway as authorities try to determine the source of a COVID-19 infection in a Western Sydney man who attended a hospital, sparking a major cleaning operation.
11/1/2021
ABC News
Greater Brisbane coronavirus restrictions are changing. Here's what you need to know
Greater Brisbane's strict three-day lockdown is due to end in a matter of hours.Despite the state breathing a sigh of relief after recording three consecutive doughnuts days of zero locally acquired cases, some restrictions involving mask wearing and gathering limits will remain for Greater Brisbane.
8/1/2021
ABC News
WA growers to reap $6 billion payday as harvest defies dry conditions and China trade spat
West Australian grain growers are set to reap more than $6 billion from this year's harvest, defying dry conditions and the spectre of a trade war with China to post one of the most lucrative paydays on record.
8/1/2021
9 News
Two states set to swelter in summer heatwave while rain persists for east coast
Heat is on its way to large parts of the country today temperatures set to soar across Western and South Australia.
8/1/2021
ABC News
NT Government declares Greater Brisbane a coronavirus hotspot, effective immediately
The Northern Territory Government has declared the Greater Brisbane area region a COVID-19 hotspot, effective immediately.
8/1/2021
7 News
Mark McGowan 'flabbergasted' by PPE breaches during transport of infected UK patient
Western Australia’s premier says he’s flabbergasted by recent personal protective breaches surrounding a COVID-19 patient who returned from the United Kingdom.
8/1/2021
7 News
New border measures introduced to combat further introduction of UK COVID strain into Australia
A number of new border measures have been introduced to combat further introduction of the UK variant of coronavirus into Australia.
8/1/2021
7 News
Red Gully fires: Residents advised to stay away as firefighters continue to battle blaze
Residents advised to leave their homes because of bushfires burning north of Perth might have to wait days before they can return.
7/1/2021
SBS News
Victoria records no new coronavirus cases for the first time in a week
Victoria has no new coronavirus cases, as health authorities urge thousands of cricket fans and Boxing Day shoppers to get tested.
7/1/2021
News.com.au
China warns ‘writing is on the wall’ for Canberra ties
Beijing says confronting China has become a ‘new political correctness’ in Australia and warns ‘the writing is on the wall’.
7/1/2021
Sky News
US Capitol in lockdown: National Guard called in and one person shot as Trump supporters storm Congress
America’s National Guard has been called in and capitol buildings have been evacuated after Trump supporters stormed Congress.
7/1/2021
ABC News
North Queensland rain will continue into next week, BOM warns
Coastal trough associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Imogen to deepen over the weekend. Separate trough in Queensland's forecast to converge with the cyclone's remnants. Cassowary Coast expected to receive the brunt of the rain over the coming few days.
6/1/2021
Sky News
Regional NSW towns issued COVID alert after infectious man embarks on road trip
The 18-year-old contracted the virus from Berala BWS in western Sydney on Christmas Eve and then set off on a road trip, visiting Orange, Nyngan and Broken Hill. Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant commended the man for coming forward for testing despite only having a runny nose and noted testing had been bolstered in the regional towns.
6/1/2021
SBS News
WHO chief 'very disappointed' at Chinese delays letting expert team in
The head of the WHO is very disappointed that China has still not authorised the entry of a team of experts to examine the origins of the coronavirus.
6/1/2021
SBS News
Victoria records just one locally acquired coronavirus case amid review of return-to-work plan
Victoria has recorded three new COVID-19 cases, with one locally acquired and two diagnosed in hotel quarantine. There are now 41 active cases in the state.
6/1/2021
ABC News
Australian COVID-19 vaccine rollout brought forward two weeks to early March
The Government was originally planning to begin inoculations at the end of March. Both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines still need to be approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
5/1/2021
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia: Scott Morrison warns against rushing vaccine rollout process
Scott Morrison has condemned calls to speed up a coronavirus vaccine rollout across Australia as “very dangerous”. The Therapeutic Goods Administration was expected to have at least one vaccine approved by the end of January.
5/1/2021
BBC
Covid: New lockdowns for England and Scotland ahead of 'hardest weeks'
Everyone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus lockdown expected to last until mid-February, the PM says.
5/1/2021
CNN
Iran ramps up uranium enrichment and seizes tanker as tensions rise with US
Iran announced Monday that it had resumed enriching uranium to 20% purity, far beyond the limits laid out in the 2015 nuclear deal, in a move likely to further escalate tensions with the United States. Iran also seized a South Korean-flagged chemical tanker on Monday, according to semi-official Iranian news agencies.
5/1/2021
Perth Now
Bushfire emergency warning issued for Gingin, Dandaragan areas
The lives of residents in the Gingin and Dandaragan areas north of Perth are in danger once again after a three-day-old bushfire jumped containment lines tonight.
5/1/2021
Daily Mail
Portuguese health worker, 41, dies two days after getting the Pfizer covid vaccine
A Portuguese health worker has died two days after getting the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine. Sonia Acevedo, 41, suffered a 'sudden death' at home on New Year's Day 48 hours after receiving the jab. An autopsy is expected to take place later today or tomorrow.
4/1/2021
9 News
Western Australians warned to be on alert with hot week to follow weekend of bushfires
The Western Australian bushfires are "looking well" around the state, but residents have been warned that dangerous conditions will continue through the week.
4/1/2021
The Atlantic
The Mutated Virus Is a Ticking Time Bomb
A new variant of the coronavirus is spreading across the globe. It was first identified in the United Kingdom, where it is rapidly spreading, and has been found in multiple countries. Viruses mutate all the time, often with no impact, but this one appears to be more transmissible than other variants—meaning it spreads more easily. Barely one day after officials announced that America’s first case of the variant had been found in the United States, in a Colorado man with no history of travel, an additional case was found in California.
4/1/2021
Reuters
'Pivotal moment' as Britain set to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will become the first country to roll out the low cost and easily transportable AstraZeneca and Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, another step forward in the global response to the pandemic.
4/1/2021
ABC News
ASX 200 opens higher despite COVID-19 cases growing in NSW and Victoria
Australian shares have risen slightly despite COVID-19 restrictions tightening in Victoria and NSW.
4/1/2021
ABC News
NSW records zero local COVID-19 cases, but two cases found after reporting period
New South Wales has been set a challenge to get testing numbers in the state as high as 50,000 a day, as authorities confirmed two new cases of COVID-19.
23/12/2020
Reuters
Coronavirus reaches end of earth as first outbreak hits Antarctica
The coronavirus has landed in Antarctica, the last continent previously free from COVID-19, Chile’s military said this week, as health and army officials scrambled to clear out and quarantine staff from a remote research station surrounded by ocean and icebergs.
23/12/2020
SBS News
Freight trucks forced to a halt as France keeps UK border shut
Drone footage has captured the huge lines of trucks piled into a Kent truck park after most of the world shut their borders with the UK due to a highly infectious new strain of COVID-19.
23/12/2020
ABC News
Qantas employee who flew through Darwin Airport tests positive for coronavirus
NSW health authorities say a Qantas staff member who flew into Darwin from overseas before boarding a domestic flight has tested positive for coronavirus.
23/12/2020
Sky News
Victoria records zero new COVID cases after Northern Sydney scare
Victoria has reported no further cases in the state since a fifteen-year-old Melbourne resident tested positive after travelling from Sydney's Northern Beaches. The infected Melbournian told contact tracers she had not left her home in Melbourne- since arriving back in Victoria - before getting a COVID test.
23/12/2020
Business Insider
Sydney's COVID-19 restrictions will be loosened over Christmas as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces tweaks to restrictions for the Northern Beaches
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced a moderate loosening of Sydney’s COVID-19 restrictions between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. The new restrictions preclude children from counting towards a 10 person limit for gatherings in Sydney, allowing visitors in to some parts of the northern beaches, and allowing intra-house visits of up to five people for those in the worst hit part of the area.
22/12/2020
Business Insider
The US Navy appears to be sending Iran a message with a submarine packed with missiles
The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia sailed through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on Monday, and the US Navy took the very unusual step of making sure everyone knows it is there.
22/12/2020
Zero Hedge
Border uncertainty 'devastating' for tourism
Transport and Tourism Forum CEO Margy Osmond says the country must live with the coronavirus and not slam borders shut each time an outbreak occurs as it causes uncertainty and lost revenue for businesses.
22/12/2020
Zero Hedge
Lockdowns Do Not Control The Coronavirus: The Evidence
The question is whether lockdowns worked to control the virus in a way that is scientifically verifiable. Based on the following studies, the answer is no and for a variety of reasons: bad data, no correlations, no causal demonstration, anomalous exceptions, and so on. There is no relationship between lockdowns (or whatever else people want to call them to mask their true nature) and virus control.
22/12/2020
SBS News
New infection sites flagged after Sydney's Northern Beaches coronavirus cluster grew to 83 cases on Monday
Gyms, supermarkets and pubs are among the latest venues added to NSW Health's alert list as the state continues to battle a surge in coronavirus cases. A rapidly developing outbreak in Sydney has grown by 15 new cases, down from 30 the previous day, as health authorities rush to figure out how the virus entered the community.
22/12/2020
ABC News
Victoria records positive coronavirus case from traveller who visited Sydney's northern beaches
Victoria has recorded a positive coronavirus case from a returned traveller who is believed to have acquired the infection in NSW's northern beaches area.
22/12/2020
BBC News
Covid-19 pandemic: International alarm grows over new variant
The new strain is more transmissible but there is no evidence it is more deadly.
21/12/2020
ABC News
ASX taking a hit as Sydney grapples with COVID nightmare before Christmas
The Australian share market is trading slightly down, as the country grapples with a resurgence of COVID-19 in Australia's biggest city just a few days before Christmas.
21/12/2020
9 News
'Mickey Mouse' sign-ins causing problems for NSW contact tracers
A hair salon in Sydney's North Shore is linked to five coronavirus cases, and the business' incomplete sign-in register is now a serious concern for NSW Health.
21/12/2020
9 News
NSW records 15 new cases of COVID-19 linked to Northern Beaches cluster
New South Wales has recorded 15 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, all of which have been linked to the Northern Beaches cluster.
21/12/2020
Zero Hedge
CDC Issues New Guidelines, Launches Probe After 1000s Negatively-Affected Following COVID-19 Vaccination
Thousands of people have been unable to work or perform daily activities, or required care from a healthcare professional, after getting the new COVID-19 vaccine, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
21/12/2020
Reuters
U.S. Congress reaches deal on COVID-19 aid package, plans votes for Monday
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. congressional leaders reached agreement on Sunday on a $900 billion package to provide the first new aid in months to an economy and individuals battered by the surging coronavirus pandemic, with votes likely on Monday.
21/12/2020
Reuters
European neighbours shut doors to Britain amid alarm over new coronavirus strain
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s European neighbours began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar there.
18/12/2020
Zero Hedge
Pfizer "Closely Monitoring" Alaska Health Worker After "Serious Adverse Reaction" To Vaccine
Following the emergence of various 'glitches' yesterday in the rollout of Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine, the giant pharma company has been forced to make a statement about the situation regarding a healthcare worker in Alaska was hospitalized on Tuesday with a 'serious allergic reaction' after receiving Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.
18/12/2020
Zero Hedge
"Who Wants To Be A Guinea Pig?": Health Workers Balk At Vaccine; 40% Of Staff At One Chicago Hospital Refuse To Take
As tens of thousands of doses of the new Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine make their way across the country, some health workers - first on the list to receive the two-stage jab - are leery of the emerging treatment which mainstream pundits warned would take a 'miracle' to produce before the end of the year.
18/12/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: how Singapore went from hero to zero, and back to hero again
Since the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe this year, cities from Asia to the United States and Europe have become stuck in a cycle.
18/12/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus makes Chinese parents fearful of sending their children overseas to study
The coronavirus pandemic has made Chinese parents wary of sending their children to study overseas and some are instead considering international schools in China, according to a marketing company in Beijing.
18/12/2020
Reuters
Climate change turns up the heat on ad industry
(Reuters) - The avuncular man in the TV ad has an urgent-sounding message from his employer, the oil giant Chevron Corp.
18/12/2020
9 News
Sydney in the firing line for severe storms set to hit NSW
Sydney is being warned of severe weather set to hit this afternoon as a band of rain and powerful storms spread across NSW.
18/12/2020
9 News
Sydney's Northern Beaches becomes first region to be declared a national COVID-19 hotspot
Sydney's Northern Beaches has been declared a national coronavirus hotspot in the first use of the federal government's new guidelines for the term.
18/12/2020
9 News
Positive case from Sydney's Northern Beaches outbreak flew to Queensland while infectious
Queensland's Premier has confirmed the state has recorded a new case of coronavirus overnight after a woman from NSW travelled to Queensland and tested positive this week.
18/12/2020
9 News
International aircrew will now quarantine in two hotels near Sydney Airport
International aircrews will quarantine in two designated hotels near Sydney Airport.
18/12/2020
Reuters
U.S. FDA advisory panel sets stage for Moderna vaccine authorization
(Reuters) -A panel of outside advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday overwhelmingly endorsed emergency use of Moderna Inc’s coronavirus vaccine, virtually assuring a second option for protecting against COVID-19 for a pandemic ravaged nation.
17/12/2020
SBS News
Advances in facial recognition technology could amplify the persecution of minorities, AI experts warn
Artificial intelligence experts have warned that as facial recognition technology continues to advance, minorities will face further targeting and persecution without proper safeguards in place. The Washington Post recently revealed Chinese telecommunciations giant Huawei worked on a facial recognition system that monitors and tracks China’s Uighur minority. The report refers to documents posted publicly to Huawei’s website.
17/12/2020
9 News
Farmer dies after being swept away in flash flooding while moving cattle in Queensland
The man, 69, was on a property in Killarney, on Queensland's Southern Downs, when he and his vehicle were consumed by rapidly rising water.
17/12/2020
SBS News
Australia refers China to the World Trade Organisation amid deteriorating diplomatic relations
Australia will ask the global trade umpire to settle a dispute that centres on China's decision to level massive tariffs on barley.
17/12/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: WHO-led team expected in China in January to probe pandemic origins
Group of 12 to 15 international experts headed to Wuhan ‘just after New Year’s’ for six-week mission, says Danish team member Thea Fischer.
17/12/2020
Fox News
Alaska health care worker suffers adverse reaction after COVID-19 vaccine
The report found public health officials thought the towers would be locked down the following day, not immediately. Ombudsman Deborah Glass said the decision breached the human rights of residents and they were entitled to an apology.
17/12/2020
ABC News
Lockdown of Victoria's public housing towers during COVID crisis breached human rights, ombudsman finds
The report found public health officials thought the towers would be locked down the following day, not immediately. Ombudsman Deborah Glass said the decision breached the human rights of residents and they were entitled to an apology.
17/12/2020
7 News
COVID cases in Sydney's Northern Beaches grows by two, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says
Two new mystery cases of coronavirus have been discovered in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. It brings the number of cases in the area to four in the past 24 hours, including one from Frenchs Forest.
16/12/2020
7 News
Australia's COVID vaccine rollout blueprint revealed, includes separation of age brackets
Australians will be divided by health risks and age brackets in a first look at the coronavirus vaccine rollout plan. The blueprint places top priority in those most at risk of developing complications or dying from COVID-19.
16/12/2020
SBS News
Warnings of flash flooding after wild weather lashes northern NSW, Queensland
Rivers are rising with a high tide expected mid-morning, as authorities warn of flash flooding even as the worst of the rainfall in northern NSW subsides.
16/12/2020
ABC News
The vanishing Arctic
Since the mid-80s the Arctic has been warming twice as fast as the entire world — a phenomenon the vast majority of scientists agree is the direct result of human-induced climate change.
16/12/2020
ABC News
Pfizer coronavirus vaccine rollout in US ramps up as Moderna shot nears FDA approval
The US's Federal Drug Administration is expected to vote on approving the Moderna vaccine on Thursday local time. The Moderna vaccine has similar efficacy as the Pfizer shot, but is easier to store.
15/12/2020
BBC News
'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England
A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, MPs have been told.
15/12/2020
Sky News
Evacuation warnings issued to 1,000 properties around Northern Rivers region
Wild weather continues to lash regions near the New South Wales-Queensland border, with more than 200 millimetres of rain recorded in the Tweed River catchment in the past 24 hours. Authorities issued evacuation warnings to 1,000 properties near the Northern Rivers region last night - urging residents to be on high alert and prepare to evacuate.
15/12/2020
ABC News
China's The Global Times appears to confirm a ban on Australian coal imports amid perilous trade tensions
Chinese state-owned media outlet The Global Times appears to have confirmed a ban on Australian coal imports. Australia's Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has called on Chinese authorities to "rule out" the Global Times report. Australian coal exports to China were worth $13.9 billion last year
14/12/2020
Sky News
New Zealand agrees to a trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia in 2021
New Zealand has agreed to a trans-Tasman travel bubble with Australia in 2021. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand should return by the end of March 2021 provided the COVID-19 situation in both country remains as it is currently.
14/12/2020
9 News
Heavy rains and flooding to lash Queensland and NSW as temperatures rise elsewhere
A coastal trough and strengthening low over southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales is increasing rain, wind and waves.
14/12/2020
Reuters News
Historic U.S. vaccine campaign begins with first shipments 'delivering hope' to millions
(Reuters) -The first shipments of COVID-19 vaccine left on trucks and planes early on Sunday, kicking off a historic effort to stop a surging pandemic that is claiming more than 2,400 lives a day in the United States.
14/12/2020
9 News
Germany to go into national COVID-19 lockdown over Christmas as coronavirus cases surge
Germany will go into a "hard" national lockdown, starting next week and continuing through the Christmas period, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said, after agreeing to stricter measures with state governments to stem a wave of coronavirus cases.
14/12/2020
9 News
NSW and Queensland brace for cyclone-like conditions
There are severe weather warnings in place for much of the east coast as northern NSW and south-eastern Queensland are battered with wild weather.
14/12/2020
9 News
Flood rescues as hundreds phone for help amid deluge in northern NSW, south-east Queensland
Victims of serious flash floods in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales have been warned the worst is yet to come in some areas, as a "once in 100 year" rain event begins to move south down the Australian coastline.
14/12/2020
ABC News
No homegrown coronavirus vaccine, but CSL inoculated against failure
Australia won't save the world, this time, after trials of our promising COVID vaccine were abandoned.
10/12/2020
7 News
India eyes trade deal with Australia after walking away from China-backed RCEP bloc
India and Australia are in discussions for a bilateral free trade agreement, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says, after his country’s decision to walk out of a China-backed trade bloc.
10/12/2020
Sky News
China trade deal with Trump threatens Aussie wheat and cotton
Australian cotton and wheat farmers are being warned they are likely to become Beijing's next targets in a string of trade attacks perpetrated by the communist government.
10/12/2020
BBC News
Major US lawsuits seek break up of Facebook
US federal regulators and more than 45 state prosecutors have sued Facebook, accusing the social media company of taking illegal actions to buy up rivals and stifle competition.
10/12/2020
ABC News
Australian study shows wastewater testing can detect coronavirus weeks before people show symptoms
The study confirmed wastewater tests detect the virus before infected people feel sick. The research was conducted using archival samples from February this year. Wastewater testing has gained international recognition as an important tool in the pandemic response.
10/12/2020
Reuters
Explainer: What the UK cases of allergic reaction mean for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine
Britain’s medicines regulator has advised people with a history of significant allergies not to get Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine after two people reported adverse reactions on the first day of its rollout in the UK.
9/12/2020
ABC News
China's ban on Australian beef costing hundreds of millions and putting people out of work
A Queensland abattoir has become the eighth exporter to have meat sales to China cut off. The red meat industry says the bans are costing jobs as well as money. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud says the Government is working to resume the trade.
9/12/2020
ABC News
Watch how the coronavirus can spread in an office
But if you happen to be reading this at your desk — and you can still see the eyes of the person sitting across from you — scientists say beware. They’ve used the world’s most powerful computer to produce animations that reveal how COVID-19 can spread and it shows we could be more exposed than we realise.
9/12/2020
SBS News
US regulator says Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective even after just one dose
Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine is one step closer to approval in the US, after its efficacy and safety data was analysed by the Food and Drug Administration.
9/12/2020
Sky News
Australian business confidence reaches 31-month high
Sky News contributor Peter Switzer says there is much to be positive about after an NAB survey revealed Australian business confidence is at a 31-month high. Mr Switzer told Sky News the economy is reacting positively to advances in fighting the coronavirus.
9/12/2020
ABC News
Four lions infected with COVID-19 at Spain's Barcelona Zoo
Four lions at Barcelona Zoo have tested positive for COVID-19, veterinary authorities said on Tuesday (local time), in only the second known case in which large felines have contracted coronavirus.
9/12/2020
Reuters
Air freight prices 'outrageous' as COVID-19 shots rolled out, says WHO expert
Some carriers are seeking “outrageous” prices to fly dry ice and other medical equipment in the pre-holiday rush, but a capacity squeeze should ease in 2021 when the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines is expected, the World Health Organization’s logistics chief said on Tuesday.
8/12/2020
SBS News
WHO against making coronavirus vaccine mandatory
Such moves have backfired and caused greater opposition in the past, the UN health agency warns. WHO chief lays out guidelines for people who should have priority to get inoculated.
8/12/2020
SBS News
WA reopens to NSW and Victoria, but Mark McGowan says hard border could return 'in a heartbeat'
Western Australia is maintaining its opposition to a targeted hotspots regime even as it prepares to open its door to travellers from NSW and Victoria.
8/12/2020
ABC News
Queensland heatwave to ease as southern winds bring temperatures down across the state
South-easterly winds are expected to bring a cool change. Showers are forecasts over Fraser Island today, but not enough to put out the flames. Temperatures will be below average across most of the state by this weekend.
8/12/2020
ABC News
Lyssavirus infection confirmed in Far North Queensland as bat-related injuries rise
ABLV can be fatal and has killed three people in Queensland since it was first discovered in the 1990s. Health authorities say breeding season is driving an increase in the number of bat-related injuries Officials say the ABLV detection is a timely warning that only trained wildlife carers should handle any species of bat,
8/12/2020
ABC News
Mystery illness in India leaves hundreds sick, but it's not COVID-19
A man with symptoms similar to epilepsy and nausea died on Sunday. Water samples from impacted areas haven't shown any signs of contamination. An expert team has been deployed to investigate the sudden sickness.
7/12/2020
Reuters
'Supercell' storms could hit south-east Queensland after days of severe heat
"Supercell" thunderstorms could hit south-east Queensland this afternoon after days of sweltering conditions.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Avoid talking in restaurants to reduce COVID-19 infection risk, study warns
Diners should avoid talking while eating in restaurants, South Korean researchers have warned, after finding that COVID-19 can be transmitted more than six metres away.
7/12/2020
Reuters
Britain gets ready for rollout of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine this week
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, initially making the shot available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors’ clinics, the government said on Sunday.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Fraser Island residents told to 'leave immediately' as bushfire threatens town and interstate resources join firefighting effort
Queensland has looked across the border for help to contain the out-of-control bushfire burning on Fraser Island, with challenging firefighting conditions expected again today.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Pineapples could rot in the paddock this summer, with unreliable labour blamed
Farm worker shortages in Australia have spread to the summer fruit sector, with labour problems now plaguing the North Queensland pineapple season.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Simon Birmingham tells NSW to tighten airport quarantine measures after travellers board flight to Melbourne
The Federal Minister for Tourism Simon Birmingham has told NSW authorities to lift its standards after an error saw two German nationals accidentally bypass quarantine requirements after landing in Sydney.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases to head to 'dedicated floors' at Adelaide medi-hotel, not separate facility
The first international passenger flight after South Australia's recent COVID–19 outbreak is set to touch down at Adelaide Airport tomorrow — but the State Government does not have a permanent place ready to accommodate any positive cases among them.
7/12/2020
ABC News
Who is exempt from hotel quarantine after entering Australia?
The case of a 53-year-old Australian dual citizen and her son who were incorrectly allowed to travel to Victoria and avoid hotel quarantine after flying into Sydney has put the spotlight back on quarantine exemptions.
3/12/2020
CNN
Singapore becomes first country to approve lab-grown meat
Singapore has granted San Francisco start-up Eat Just Inc. regulatory approval to sell its laboratory-grown chicken in the city-state - the world's first government to allow the sale of cultured meat.
3/12/2020
9 News
Twelve Sydney suburbs on alert after COVID-19 traces found in sewage
NSW Health said last night that the fragments of virus had been detected in samples taken on Sunday from the sewerage system that drains parts of Riverstone, Vineyard, Marsden Park, Shanes Park, Quakers Hill, Oakville, Box Hill, The Ponds, Rouse Hill, Nelson, Schofields and Colebee.
3/12/2020
SBS News
NSW records new COVID-19 case after hotel quarantine worker tests positive
The new infection, announced by Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Thursday, ends the state's streak of no locally acquired coronavirus cases.
3/12/2020
ABC News
COVID patient with sepsis makes 'remarkable' recovery following megadose of vitamin C
A young Australian man who was critically ill with COVID-19 and suffering early stages of blood poisoning made a remarkable recovery after being given massive doses of vitamin C, according to his doctors.
2/12/2020
SBS News
Australia just recorded its hottest spring to date, with temperatures more than 2C above average
November was especially hot, breaking records as Australia's hottest in terms of mean, minimum and maximum temperatures.
2/12/2020
BBC News
Humans waging 'suicidal war' on nature - UN chief Antonio Guterres
Mr Guterres wants to put tackling climate change at the heart of the UN's global mission.
2/12/2020
SBS News
Australia's economy has moved out of its first recession in almost 30 years, new figures show
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said Australia has seen the largest quarterly increase in GDP since 1976.
2/12/2020
ABC News
Britain approves Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which will roll out from next week
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the vaccination program would begin early next week. Hospitals, he said, were already ready to receive it.
1/12/2020
SBS News
North America Moderna seeks emergency approval of its COVID-19 vaccine after final results show it's 94.5 per cent effective
Moderna will apply for US and European emergency authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday after full results from a late-stage study showed it was 94.1 per cent effective with no serious safety concerns, the company said.
1/12/2020
CNN
The Wuhan files: Leaked documents reveal China's mishandling of the early stages of Covid-19
Chinese officials gave the world more optimistic data than they had access to internally. China's system took on average 23 days to diagnose confirmed patients, and testing failures meant most received negative results until January 10. A history of underfunding, understaffing, poor morale and bureaucratic models of governance hampered China's early warning system, internal audits found. A large and previously undisclosed outbreak of influenza happened in early December in Hubei province.
1/12/2020
ABC News
Bureau of Meteorology says the NT experienced its hottest November in 100 years
Two high-pressure systems led to the past month's high temperatures. Rainfall was also below average due to a lack of cloud cover. The heat has particularly affected the Territory's vulnerable populations.
1/12/2020
Sky News
WHO issues Christmas COVID-19 warning
The UN agency's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged event organisers to avoid holding large gatherings and extensive travel.
1/12/2020
ABC News
No new coronavirus cases in South Australia as Victorian border opens
South Australian health authorities say no new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the last 24 hours, as the state reopens its border to incoming travellers from Victoria.
1/12/2020
ABC News
Weekend heatwave sent records tumbling in SA and NSW — and it isn't over yet
South Australia and NSW broke their November maximum temperature records. 20 sites with records going back over 30 years broke their November maximum records. More records could yet fall across southern Queensland and northern NSW this week.
30/11/2020
Reuters
South Korea considers more vaccine buys as coronavirus cases spike
SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s ruling party has called for the country to buy millions of additional coronavirus vaccine doses after a spike in infection numbers raised concerns about the government’s existing plans.
30/11/2020
ABC News
SA Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier apologises for wrongly suggesting man breached coronavirus quarantine
South Australia's Chief Public Health Officer Nicola Spurrier has apologised for wrongly suggesting yesterday that a man breached coronavirus quarantine and put the state at risk.
30/11/2020
9 News
Qantas to cut 2000 workers as airline outsources grounds handling operations
Qantas will cut 2000 workers as the airline moves to outsource its ground handling operations at 10 airports across Australia.
30/11/2020
9 News
Resort evacuated as bushfires rage on Fraser Island
Guests at Fraser Island's largest resort have been evacuated as a bushfire continues to rage on the Queensland island.
30/11/2020
9 News
NSW water restrictions to be scrapped from midnight
New South Wales water restrictions are expected to be scrapped from midnight, with state cabinet looking at a complete overhaul of how the state saves water.
27/11/2020
ABC News
These Are The Best (And Worst) Places To Live During The Coronavirus Era
The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of the global health-care system, while also exposing how developed and developing world economies could demonstrate such unexpected responses. Tiny South Korea has managed to suppress the virus with mass testing and tracing. The US, meanwhile, has recorded the most deaths, while China has already vaccinated more than 1 million people before its leading vaccine effort has even been approved.
27/11/2020
ABC News
Emergency warning issued for bushfire north of Adelaide
An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire burning under severe weather conditions at Templers, north of Adelaide.
27/11/2020
9 News
Swedish life expectancy set to fall because of coronavirus, government figures show
Swedish authorities are forecasting that life expectancy in the Scandinavian country will fall this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
27/11/2020
9 News
Popular Victorian campgrounds to open ahead of schedule
Some of Victoria's busiest campgrounds are set to reopen over the holidays in another celebration of Victoria's success in its fight against coronavirus.
27/11/2020
9 News
South Australia to open Victoria border, wedding and funeral restrictions changed
South Australia will lift its border restrictions with Victoria on December 1, Premier Steven Marshall has announced.
25/11/2020
News.com.au
All time records set to smash as 4500km-long heatwave hits
The all-time record for Australia’s hottest ever November day could be broken with the mercury rising close to 50C. There’s also a possibility the Sydney and Adelaide CBDs could top out at 40C. Sydney’s west is expected to easily get into the 40s on both Saturday and Sunday.
25/11/2020
Reuters
Plasma from recovered patients shows little benefit in those hospitalized with COVID-19: study
Using blood plasma from COVID-19 survivors to treat patients with severe pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus showed little benefit, according to data released on Tuesday from a clinical trial in Argentina.
25/11/2020
Sky News
November recovery looks positive as iron ore prices surge
Australia’s November economic recovery is looking positive as iron ore prices surge to another record high with borders also set to reopen. In relation to trade figures, iron ore was up $1.8 billion to $10.96 billion in the month of October and looking to stay up for November.
24/11/2020
ABC News
Qantas passengers will need COVID-19 vaccine for international travel, Alan Joyce says
Alan Joyce says the rule will apply to anyone entering or leaving Australia on a Qantas flight. He's also considering extending it to domestic flights. Flights between Sydney and Melbourne ramped up on Monday.
24/11/2020
SBS News
Queensland is 'good to go' and will open its borders to greater Sydney from 1 December
After withstanding immense pressure to open up earlier, state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has finally announced when Queensland will relax some travel restrictions.
24/11/2020
7 News
China's Xi Jinping is pushing for a global Covid QR code. He may struggle to convince the world
Chinese President Xi Jinping is pushing for a global COVID-19 tracking system using QR codes, to help fast-track international travel and business during the coronavirus pandemic. China mandated the widespread use of QR-based health certificates earlier this year. The system, which uses an electronic barcode to store a person’s travel and health history, has been credited with helping to curb the spread of the virus.
24/11/2020
ABC News
Boris Johnson says COVID-19 contacts won’t have to self-isolate. How is that possible?
Self-isolation is one of the most widely practised methods in the world for breaking the chains of COVID-19 transmission. But it could be scrapped in England if an ambitious trial announced by the Prime Minister proves successful. Already, there are big concerns about the strategy, with one public health expert calling the plan a "gigantic experiment".
23/11/2020
Zero Hedge
Pandemics Are Over When The Public Decides They're Over
In Colorado, reported cases and hospitalizations of Covid-19 patients are at higher levels than ever before. And yet politicians are worried that if they issue new stay-at-home orders, the public won’t obey them. For instance the Denver Post last week reported Colorado Democrats admitted the public isn’t listening very closely anymore:
23/11/2020
WA Today
Morrison pushes G20 for global access to vaccine; Trump says he's here to stay
Scott Morrison has joined world leaders to demand global access to coronavirus vaccines at a virtual G20 summit which was dominated by efforts to tackle the pandemic and the worst global recession in decades.
23/11/2020
News Corp Australia
Moderna and Pfizer vaccines: Are these promising vaccines safe and will they be available in Australia?
Two COVID-19 vaccines have been revealed to be more than 90 per cent effective but are they safe and will they be available in Australia?
20/11/2020
Zero Hedge
UN World Food Program Warns Of "Famines Of Biblical Proportions In 2021
The UN World Food Program was the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, and the head of that agency is warning of the potential for absolutely devastating famines around the globe in 2021. The COVID-19 lockdowns that were instituted all over the world this year created tremendous hardship in many wealthy countries, but in poorer nations the economic devastation has created alarming waves of hunger. There was hope that things would get better when lockdowns were being lifted, but now a new round of lockdowns is being imposed, and many experts are warning about what this could mean for those living in deep poverty.
20/11/2020
Reuters
U.S. COVID-19 hospitalizations spike, shutdowns take effect with holidays on the horizon
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States has jumped nearly 50% in the last two weeks, forcing states to impose new restrictions to curb the alarming viral spread as Americans face a potentially grim winter and holiday season.
20/11/2020
7 News
'Mutant coronavirus' scrambles health authorities as millions of animals face slaughter
Danish authorities have also seen spread on mink farms and seen mutations that don’t necessarily seem harmful, but whose significance is not yet fully understood.
19/11/2020
ABC News
One of the nation's toughest coronavirus lockdowns comes into place in South Australia
Some of the toughest restrictions faced anywhere in Australia since the start of the coronavirus pandemic are now in place in South Australia.
19/11/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus hunters pick up another piece of the trail in Italy
The virus that causes the Covid-19 disease has now infected more than 54 million people across the planet, but the question of just where it came from remains a mystery.
19/11/2020
ABC News
Stranded Australians 'beside themselves' after inbound international flights to Adelaide cancelled over COVID-19 cluster
22 weeks pregnant, Victoria Malliaras fears she will become "homeless" if she isn't able to return to South Australia this week.
19/11/2020
9 News
South Australia records zero new coronavirus cases connected to Parafield cluster
Premier Steven Marshall has today issued a rallying call to South Australians on their first day of hard lockdown as the state recorded zero new coronavirus infections in a surprise result.
19/11/2020
ABC News
Unemployment rate rises to 7 per cent as more people look for work, but employment jumps by 179,000
Australia's unemployment rate rose last month as more people looked for work, but there was a strong surge in the number of people hired as Victoria's coronavirus lockdown eased.
18/11/2020
Reuters
Record storm Iota batters Central America, leaving floods in its wake
Packing record-breaking winds and unleashing torrential floods, storm Iota hit Central America on Tuesday, causing swollen rivers to burst their banks, flipping roofs onto streets, and killing at least three people.
18/11/2020
Sky News
Morrison strikes historic defence deal with Japanese PM
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has struck an historic deal with Japan's new leader to boost the defence partnership between the two countries. The Reciprocal Access Agreement will enable Australian ships and aircraft to operate further north and offer greater legal protection for service personnel across both countries.
18/11/2020
ABC News
Pizza customers, school students and their families ordered into quarantine as SA coronavirus cluster grows
Thousands of people are already in quarantine. Dozens of locations have been identified as sites of potential spread risk. Vulnerable South Australians are urged not to allow visitors or leave home.
18/11/2020
BBC News
Covid: Mouthwash 'can kill virus in lab in 30 seconds'
Mouthwash can kill coronavirus within 30 seconds of being exposed to it in a lab, a scientific study indicates. Scientists at Cardiff University found there were "promising signs" that over-the-counter mouthwashes may help to destroy the virus.
18/11/2020
ABC News
True number of global COVID-19 infections much higher than reported, Australian research estimates
Reported infections and fatalities in 15 countries, including Australia, were analysed in the research. The rate of infection was estimated to be 6.2 times higher in the 15-country sample. Infection rates were estimated to be up to 5 times higher in Australia.
17/11/2020
BBC News
Spring heatwave continues to deliver above average temperatures across inland Queensland
The spring heatwave is expected to deliver further above average temperatures across many inland parts of the Queensland today and see storms develop this afternoon, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
17/11/2020
BBC News
Moderna: Covid vaccine shows nearly 95% protection
A new vaccine that protects against Covid-19 is nearly 95% effective, early data from US company Moderna shows. The results come hot on the heels of similar results from Pfizer, and add to growing confidence that vaccines can help end the pandemic. Both companies used a highly innovative and experimental approach to designing their vaccines.
17/11/2020
Sky News
Panic buying triggered by SA cluster as state records one new case
Adelaide authorities are urging residents to remain calm after scenes of panic buying emerged. South Australian Premier Steven Marshall revealed there has been just one new case linked to the Parafield cluster in the last 24 hours.
16/11/2020
SBS News
Coronavirus was circulating in Italy as early as September 2019, new study shows
A new study reveals the coronavirus emerged in Italy in September, suggesting COVID-19 might have spread beyond China earlier than previously thought.
16/11/2020
Yahoo News
'Breakthrough finding' reveals why certain Covid-19 patients die
New research into the novel coronavirus might have determined why certain people become gravely ill from Covid-19 while others don’t.
16/11/2020
Zero Hedge
Asia-Pacific Countries Sign World's Largest Free Trade Deal In "Coup For China"
Nothing less than a major milestone in global economic history and a huge victory for China over increasing US regional hegemony has been realized on Sunday with the signing of the biggest free trade deal ever among fifteen Asia Pacific Nations.
16/11/2020
SBS News
States impose border restrictions on South Australia as Adelaide cluster grows to 17
A cluster of coronavirus cases in Adelaide has jumped to 17 after a worker at a quarantine hotel infected fellow family members.
13/11/2020
9 News
COVID-19 scare unfolds aboard first cruise to resume sailing in the Caribbean
A COVID-19 scare is the last thing the cruise industry needs as it eases back into the Caribbean.
13/11/2020
9 News
'Cautious and safe': Premier defends opening WA's hard border
Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan has said the state is ready to finally relax its hard border controls from midnight tonight.
13/11/2020
9 News
More bushfires and tropical cyclones: The dire impact climate change is already having on Australia
Australia is already experiencing climate change with longer bushfire seasons and extreme weather forecast for the coming years.
13/11/2020
SBS News
Scientists warn flooding is the extreme weather Australians should expect this summer
The country was devastated by bushfires last summer, but climate scientists say flooding will be what to watch for this time around.
11/11/2020
South China Morning Post
US plans sale of F-35 fighters to United Arab Emirates in US$23 billion arms deal
Move is aimed at deterring potential threats from Iran, despite Israel’s concerns it could change the balance of power in the Middle East. Plan follows the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE.
11/11/2020
7 News
Victoria reports no new COVID cases or deaths for twelfth consecutive day
Victoria is bearing down on a full fortnight without a new coronavirus case with the promise of further eased restrictions looming. The state on Wednesday reported no new infections from almost 20,000 test results processed. There were also no new deaths.
11/11/2020
Fox News
As virus spikes, Europe runs low on ICU beds, hospital staff
France, Italy, Germany and Spain all grappling with how to be prepared
11/11/2020
ABC News
Sydney coronavirus cases during first wave could have been more than three times official figures, research says
Tests on more than 5,000 blood samples found that infections could have been more than three times the official number. Researchers say the figures still show a low infection rate of less than 1 per cent. Reported cases may be lower because people didn't come forward for testing.
10/11/2020
South China Morning Post
China-Australia relations: iron ore demand powers ahead as Fortescue secures US$4 billion in deals
Australian-listed miner Fortescue Metals Group signed 12 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) at the China International Import Expo (CIIE). China buys just over 80 per cent of Australia’s iron ore, while Australian iron ore makes up 60 per cent of China’s supply.
10/11/2020
ABC News
Federal Government in talks to expand coronavirus travel bubble beyond New Zealand to some parts of Asia
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Australia is still holding discussions with several Asian countries — including Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan — about expanding Australia's travel bubble and opening up quarantine-free travel.
10/11/2020
9 News
Victoria records 11th day of no new coronavirus cases, no additional deaths
Victoria has recorded zero new coronavirus cases and no additional deaths for an 11th day in a row. In the past 24 hours nearly 13,000 tests were carried out. The state now has just four active cases of COVID-19, including one with an unknown source.
10/11/2020
SBS News
Pfizer says its coronavirus vaccine is 90 per cent effective in ongoing large-scale trials
Pfizer said its experimental vaccine was more than 90 per cent effective in preventing COVID-19 based on initial data from a large study, a major victory in the fight against a pandemic that has killed over 1 million people.
10/11/2020
Reuters
Pfizer, BioNTech initial vaccine results impress, but scientists remain cautious
Scientists on Monday said initial trial results for Pfizer Inc and BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine far outpaced their expectations for protection against a completely new disease, but that many questions remain unanswered.
9/11/2020
7 News
Health alert for nineteen Sydney suburbs after COVID detected
People living in nineteen Sydney suburbs have been called to come forward for COVID-19 testing even if they have the mildest of symptoms after the traces of the virus was detected in sewage.
9/11/2020
Zero Hedge
Tens of thousands of fruit picking jobs unfilled in Queensland
The Palaszczuk government is yet to unveil how it plans to incentivise Queenslanders to move to regional areas as tens of thousands of fruit picker positions remain unfilled due to border closures, leaving thousands of tonnes of fruit and vegetables to rot.
9/11/2020
Zero Hedge
COVID-19 Is Not As Deadly As We Were Told... But Now What?
In some ways, much of the election became about the handling of Covid-19. One thing we have learned since this monster out of China has spread across the world is that Covid-19 is not nearly as deadly as we once thought. Because of how things were handled in China fear exploded. This resulted in many people getting the image of Covid-19 hitting on the level of the black plague. We were presented with the idea trucks might roll down our streets with loudspeakers blaring, "Bring out your Dead!".
9/11/2020
9 News
Melbourne lab to start producing 30 million doses of promising coronavirus vaccine today
A Melbourne laboratory will begin producing 30 million doses of a promising coronavirus vaccine today.
9/11/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus Australia live news: Global COVID-19 cases pass 50 million, more Victorian businesses open
Global coronavirus cases have surpassed 50 million, with infections continuing to jump rapidly in the US, Europe and India.
9/11/2020
South China Morning Post
AstraZeneca CEO says coronavirus vaccine could be ready in December
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s chief executive said its coronavirus vaccine candidate could be ready for use at the end of December, pending regulatory approval.
6/11/2020
ABC News
Australian health worker who caught COVID-19 in Sweden says she was 'chucked in the deep end'
At first glance, life in Sweden during the pandemic appears to have hardly changed — people can travel freely, and social activities have largely been uninterrupted — but those working in the public health sector share a different tale.
6/11/2020
ABC News
Queensland could reopen borders to Victoria by Christmas if low case numbers continue
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says low coronavirus case numbers in Victoria are "very encouraging" and could mean Queensland will open its borders to the southern state before Christmas.
6/11/2020
9 News
Qantas to scrap airport service desks, force passengers onto self service options
Qantas has announced it will axe its airport service and sales desks, with passengers left to handle travel arrangements through self-service kiosks, online services or call centres.
6/11/2020
9 News
Nine new cases of COVID-19 recorded in NSW, four locally acquired
A new cluster has emerged in NSW with four new cases of locally transmitted COVID-19 diagnosed in the state's southern highlands in the last 24 hours.
6/11/2020
9 News
Ankle and wrist monitoring recommended for home quarantine, Interim Hotel Quarantine Inquiry report states
Ankle and wrist monitoring systems have been recommended to ensure compliance among international travellers returning to Victoria under a home quarantine program.
5/11/2020
SBS News
Australia secures access to another two potential COVID-19 vaccines
The Morrison government has entered into four agreements with coronavirus vaccine makers, paving the way for a 2021 rollout if they prove safe and effective.
5/11/2020
ABC News
Victoria records no coronavirus cases and no deaths for sixth straight day
Victoria has recorded no new coronavirus cases and no deaths for the sixth straight day, the state's health department says. The number of Melbourne cases from the past two weeks with an unknown source of infection remains at two.
4/11/2020
7 News
Victoria records fifth consecutive day of no coronavirus cases or deaths
Victoria has set the table for an easing of coronavirus restrictions with a fifth consecutive “donut day”. The state on Wednesday reported no new COVID-19 cases or deaths.
4/11/2020
ABC News
Australia-China ties are at their lowest point in history, former ambassador says
Geoff Raby says Australia needs to find a way of working with China. China this week placed additional restrictions on Australian exports. Dr Raby says China is "not Australia's strategic enemy".
4/11/2020
SBS News
Europe's COVID-19 cases top 11 million as more countries reimpose tough lockdowns
Europe has marked a new coronavirus milestone with more than 11 million infections as governments impose more rules to curb the spread of COVID-19.
4/11/2020
SBS News
UK raises terrorism threat level to 'severe' after attacks in France and Austria
UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has appealed to the public to remain vigilant as the country's terror alert was raised to "severe".
4/11/2020
South China Morning Post
Australia sends signal to China as it rejoins US, Japan and India for Malabar naval exercise
The Australian navy joins counterparts from the US, Japan and India in the military exercise for the first time in 13 years. Show of strength follows a deterioration in ties between the four nations and Beijing and comes as China announces new bans on Australian imports.
4/11/2020
BBC News
Vienna shooting: Arrests after 'freed jihadist' kills four
Austrian police have carried out a series of raids and made 14 arrests after a gunman murdered four people in the heart of Vienna on Monday. The man, described as a 20-year-old Islamist terrorist who had been freed from jail last December, was shot dead by police as he fired on passers-by.
3/11/2020
ABC News
Victoria records another day of no coronavirus cases and no deaths
Victoria has recorded another day of no coronavirus cases and no deaths, the state's health department says.
3/11/2020
South China Morning Post
India loses 300 square km to China after bloody summer in Himalayas, officials say
Chinese soldiers now reportedly prevent Indian patrols entering an area five times the size of Manhattan near the two countries’ disputed border. The last six months have effectively drawn new battle lines across a freezing high-altitude desert, raising tensions to their highest point in decades.
3/11/2020
South China Morning Post
China-Australia relations: import ban on Australian copper, sugar expected after blocks on lobster, timber, barley
China banned imported timber from Queensland and barley shipments from another Australian grain exporter on Friday, with copper and sugar to follow this week. Australian rock lobster shipments were also delayed in Shanghai at the weekend in the latest trade escalation between Beijing and Canberra.
3/11/2020
Sky News
Berejiklian flags QR codes to be rolled out to NSW cafes, restaurants
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has flagged QR codes will be introduced across New South Wales, making it compulsory for cafes and restaurants to electronically check in each guest. The premier said her patience was wearing thin following reports many businesses still lacked electronic records of their visitors as the state worked to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
3/11/2020
Perth Now
AMA State president Andrew Miller wants WA to wear face masks when hard border ends
West Australians need to embrace wearing masks along with a raft of other “COVID-fit” precautions when the State’s border reopens next week, according to Australia Medical Association WA president Andrew Miller.
2/11/2020
UN News
New wave of famine could sweep the globe, overwhelming nations already weakened by years of conflict, warn UN officials
The global hunger crisis caused by conflict – and now compounded by COVID-19 – is moving into a dangerous phase, the head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Thursday, stressing that without resources, a wave of famine could sweep the globe, overwhelming nations already weakened by years of instability.
2/11/2020
Zero Hedge
Jim Rogers: Great Depression 2.0?
Jim Rogers is not only one of the most successful investors of our era, he’s also an avid scholar of history. Seeing that the world is buried under an unprecedented mountain of debt that is requiring more and more central planner intervention to keep from imploding on itself, Jim says history is clear on what happens next.
2/11/2020
Zero Hedge
Anti-Lockdown Epidemiologist Intimidated, Shamed By Contagion Of Hatred And Hysteria
Lockdown is a blunt, indiscriminate policy that forces the poorest and most vulnerable people to bear the brunt of the fight against coronavirus. As an infectious diseases epidemiologist, I believe there has to be a better way.
2/11/2020
SBS News
'We haven't beaten it yet': Australians warned not to become complacent as coronavirus cases plunge
Health officials are urging Australians not to become complacent about coronavirus as social and business restrictions are stripped away.
2/11/2020
Reuters
When will we know the results of the US Presidential Election 2020?
A shift to mail voting is increasing the chances that Americans will not know the winner of the 2020 presidential race on election night, November 3 (or the afternoon of November 4 in Australia).
2/11/2020
Reuters
Europe's COVID-19 cases double in five weeks, total infections surpass 10 million
(Reuters) - Europe’s new COVID-19 cases have doubled in five weeks, propelling the region on Sunday across the bleak milestone of 10 million total infections, according to a Reuters tally.
2/11/2020
9 News
Queensland farmers count cost of hailstorms as insurance claims pour in
Farmers across south-east Queensland are counting the cost of the weekend's massive hailstorms, which have now been declared a catastrophe by the Insurance Council of Australia.
2/11/2020
9 News
Cold front brings thunderstorms to Western Australia after nation's wettest October in years
Cities around the country have seen their wettest October in years and more rain could be on the way.
2/11/2020
9 News
Concern Australian lobster exports caught up in China trade tensions
There are fears Australian lobster exporters have become the latest victims of trade tensions with China.
30/10/2020
ABC News
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister defends multi-million-dollar plans to find COVID 'cure'
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has defended plans to give millions of dollars to a local company for the development of an unknown COVID-19 treatment.
30/10/2020
Zero Hedge
Melbourne Parties As 112-Day COVID-19 Lockdown Comes To An End
After 112 days and countless arrests, fines and protests, Australia's second-most-populous state is finally free from lockdown. The city of Melbourne, the capital and largest metro center of Australia's coronavirus-hammered Victoria state, exited lockdown on Wednesday, leaving businesses and residents to cope with the aftermath of months of forced closures for an virus that has so far killed fewer than 1,000 people in the entire country.
30/10/2020
SBS News
France and Germany plunge back into lockdown as second coronavirus wave sweeps Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered their countries back into lockdown on Wednesday, as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe before the winter.
30/10/2020
9 News
New research recommends 'COVID toes' be added to virus testing criteria
Swollen, purple toes is emerging as a consistent symptom among patients with COVID-19, new research has shown.
30/10/2020
9 News
'What was unprecedented is now our future': Royal Commission bushfire report released
The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements has handed down its recommendations following one of the most devastating bushfire seasons in history.
29/10/2020
ABC News
NSW coronavirus cases increase by five with four locally acquired cases
Health authorities in NSW have confirmed four new locally acquired coronavirus infections in the 24 hours to 8.00pm yesterday. The source of one of the infections is under investigation while the other three are linked to this mystery infection.
29/10/2020
ABC News
Thunderstorm asthma season is on now. Are we ready for another event if it happens during COVID-19?
Melbourne's 2016 thunderstorm asthma event was the largest and most devastating thunderstorm asthma event ever recorded worldwide, says Frank Thien, director of respiratory medicine at Eastern Health. It resulted in over 3,500 emergency presentations, 35 ICU admissions and 10 deaths. The majority of those affected were younger people. "Of the people who turned up into our EDs in the thousands in 2016, the median age was 32," Professor Thien says.
29/10/2020
ABC News
This wet weather won't last, the next zero-day crisis could be just around the corner
The 2017 to 2019 period was the hottest and driest three-year stretch ever recorded for the Murray-Darling Basin. As a result water storages dwindled and the zero-day clock — the time given before a town runs dry — began ticking. It was a level of water stress that many people in these towns had never before experienced.
29/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Air pollution may factor in Covid-19 deaths, with East Asia worst hit: study
Researchers say 15 per cent of global fatalities from the respiratory disease could be linked to long-term exposure to pollutants. This doesn’t mean there is a direct cause and effect relationship but it could be a ‘co-factor’, they say.
29/10/2020
Reuters
France and Germany thrust into lockdown as second COVID-19 wave sweeps Europe
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered their countries back into lockdown on Wednesday, as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe before the winter.
28/10/2020
7 News
Queensland braces for more wild weather after been lashed by severe storms
A month’s rain and tennis ball-sized hailstones have been dumped from the Darling Downs to the Sunshine Coast as severe storms lashed southeast Queensland.
28/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Russia starts making second Covid-19 vaccine as cases rise
Output of the second vaccine, which has yet to complete trials, will ramp up by the end of the year, says the head of Russia’s public health watchdog. Unlike Sputnik V, Russia’s second vaccine is a mix of short amino-acid chains, called peptides, that induce an immune response.
28/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Production of Covid-19 vaccine could top 16 billion doses, but delivery is still a challenge
Manufacturing limits, a nation’s health care system and intellectual property rights could all affect which countries receive vaccines and how quickly. Of 16 billion doses manufacturers expect to make next year, over 8 billion have already been committed to countries.
27/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Oxford coronavirus vaccine prompts immune response in young and old adults: AstraZeneca
The vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, also triggers lower adverse responses among the elderly, AstraZeneca says. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be one of the first large pharmaceutical companies to secure regulatory approval.
27/10/2020
Zero Hedge
US Approves $2.4BN Coastal Defense Missile Sale To Taiwan Amid China Sanctions Retaliation
The State Department has made the official announcement late in the day Monday of US approval for up to 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems and related weapons equipment to be sold to Taiwan in a deal estimated at $2.37 billion.
27/10/2020
SBS News
The government's COVIDSafe app dubbed a 'huge bungle' after tracing just 17 unique infections
The COVIDSafe app has identified 17 unknown cases not otherwise uncovered through manual tracing methods across the country.
27/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Herd immunity case weakens with Covid-19 the leading cause of death among young in some US regions: study
British study finds more than 70 per cent of young coronavirus patients had one or more damaged organs four months after infection
27/10/2020
SBS News
An end to lockdown: Here’s what you can do in Melbourne from midnight tonight
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced sweeping changes to Melbourne’s coronavirus restrictions, saying “now is the time to open up”.
26/10/2020
ABC News
World Health Organization expert Mike Ryan warns ten per cent of global population may have contracted COVID-19
Roughly one in 10 people may have been infected with coronavirus, leaving the vast majority of the world's population vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease it causes, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.
26/10/2020
SBS News
Spain announces new state of emergency as global coronavirus infections surge to record high
Spain declared a national state of emergency on Sunday to tackle a second coronavirus wave as the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a third straight day of record new infections around the world.
26/10/2020
9 News
Extreme storms with golf ball-sized hail lash Queensland and NSW
Wild storms have lashed parts of Australia's east coast, bringing heavy rain, large golf-ball-sized hailstones and damaging winds, and sparking severe weather warnings for two states.
26/10/2020
ABC News
Box Hill Hospital coronavirus outbreak that sparked northern Melbourne cases highlights flaws in healthcare system, doctor says
A doctor on the Victorian Government's healthcare worker infections taskforce says the Box Hill Hospital cluster that led to an outbreak across Melbourne's north highlights ongoing weaknesses in infection control standards in hospitals.
22/10/2020
SBS News
Five new coronavirus cases in Victoria as residents of five Melbourne suburbs urged to get tested for coronavirus
Residents of a tower block in Melbourne's north have been told to isolate for 48 hours after being linked to a nearby school where a student tested positive.
22/10/2020
Sky News
Economy losing $319 million per day due to travel restrictions
The Business Council of Australia is pushing for domestic travel to reopen by Christmas to prevent travel restrictions from crippling the economy.
22/10/2020
SBS News
Spain surpasses one million coronavirus infections as western Europe falls back into lockdown
Spain, which is home to around 47 million people, is only the sixth country in the world to pass this toll - after the United States, India, Brazil, Russia and Argentina.
22/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Vaccine test volunteer dies during Oxford-AstraZeneca trial in Brazil
Case is first death reported in worldwide vaccine trials, though media reports say deceased had received a placebo. Study organisers say independent review found no safety concerns and testing would continue.
21/10/2020
Sky News
Big Aussie employers call for big changes in open letter to Victorian govt
The people in charge of seven of the country's largest employers are calling for the Victorian government to let people go back to work. The bosses of Wesfarmers, Coca-Cola Amatil, BHP, The Commonwealth Bank, Orica, Newcrest Mining and Incitec Pivot have written an open letter, pleading for the state's economy to be kick-started urgently.
21/10/2020
ABC News
COVID-19's effects on the heart: Here's what we know so far
Matters of the heart are complex — so it should come as little surprise just how complicated the heart's relationship with coronavirus seems to be. Around one in four people hospitalised with COVID-19 suffer heart damage, according to new research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
21/10/2020
SBS News
'We need a new system': Growing calls for alternatives to mandatory hotel quarantine for returning Australians
The federal government has increased Australia's hotel quarantine cap, but frustrated people abroad say they want better options.
21/10/2020
SBS News
Hillsong founder Brian Houston blasts 'inconsistent' coronavirus church rules
Hillsong founder Brian Houston says Christians are being discriminated against, as congregations at church services remain at just 100.
21/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: it will be the biggest, fastest vaccine distribution plan ever – but can it work?
The stakes are high for Covax, which not only aims to stop the pandemic but at the same time treat nations, rich and poor, fairly and equitably. The programme is about US$200 million short of its US$2 billion 2020 target in finance for poorer countries.
20/10/2020
South China Morning Post
China-Australia relations: coal, cotton curbs could violate trade rules, lawyers say
It was reported last week that Chinese authorities had started asking importers verbally not to buy Australian coal and cotton. The moves could violate World Trade Organization rules, as well as the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement.
20/10/2020
ABC News
Victoria's 'unusual' new coronavirus case could be a false positive or a re-infection, CHO says
One of the four new cases reported in Victoria yesterday is still under investigation. Health officials are determining whether it's a confirmed re-infection, or a person still shedding the virus months after being infected. If it is the "tail-end of a really long infection", the case will be removed as a false positive.
20/10/2020
SBS News
Global coronavirus cases surpass 40 million as second wave sweeps Europe
A raft of European nations including Italy and Belgium took urgent new measures on Monday to combat a second wave of coronavirus infections as the worldwide caseload topped 40 million.
20/10/2020
Sky News
Fears hotel quarantine could have exposed 243 people to HIV, Hep B, Hep C
Hundreds of people who passed through Victoria’s hotel quarantine program could have potentially been exposed to blood borne diseases – including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C – between March 29 and August 20 after a testing mishap.
19/10/2020
9 News
Victoria reluctantly part of trans-Tasman bubble as more New Zealanders enter
The Victorian government says New Zealanders are free to travel into the state despite Premier Daniel Andrews fuming over 65 Kiwis entering from New South Wales.
19/10/2020
South China Morning Post
China GDP: economy grew by 4.9 per cent in third quarter of 2020
China’s economy grew by 4.9 per cent in the third quarter compared with a year earlier, accelerating from growth of 3.2 per cent growth in the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) announced on Monday.
19/10/2020
SBS News
Fukushima To Dump 1 Million Tons Of Radioactive Water Into Pacific
Tokyo Electric Power's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station is expected to release more than one million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the destroyed nuclear power plant into the ocean after the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, according to the Asian Nikkei Review.
19/10/2020
SBS News
No quarantine for New Zealanders arriving in Victoria, Daniel Andrews says
At least 90 New Zealand travellers have flown to Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania after arriving in Sydney, despite only NSW and the Northern Territory agreeing to the trans-Tasman bubble.
19/10/2020
SBS News
No quarantine for New Zealanders arriving in Victoria, Daniel Andrews says
At least 90 New Zealand travellers have flown to Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania after arriving in Sydney, despite only NSW and the Northern Territory agreeing to the trans-Tasman bubble.
19/10/2020
9 News
'Why isn't it today?' Treasurer hits out at Victorian leaders for not allowing shops and pubs to open
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has hit out at Victorian leaders for not easing restrictions fast enough, saying they're showing "callous indifference" over job losses.
19/10/2020
9 News
How tiny beetles are killing California's giant sequoia trees
If there was ever a David and Goliath battle, this is it. A pinhead-sized beetle, no more than a couple of millimetres long, versus a giant sequoia tree, taller than a football field and older than the Bible.
16/10/2020
ABC News
The Liberal National Party says Queensland's unemployment rate is higher than Victoria's, despite the lockdown there. What are the facts?
In this week's newsletter, we look at a claim emanating from the Liberal National Party of Queensland, which issued a social media post slamming the Labor Government and claiming Queensland's unemployment rate is higher than Victoria's, despite tougher restrictions having been imposed in the southern state.
16/10/2020
Yahoo News
China-Australia relations: Canberra ‘keeping the door open’ as questions swirl over coal import ban
Canberra’s response to China’s ban on Australian coal exports has hinted at more conciliatory engagement with Beijing, but former diplomats and analysts said it was too early to tell if tensions have eased.
16/10/2020
SBS News
Amid COVID surge, WHO urges Europe to step up controls now to save lives
New infections are hitting 100,000 cases a day in Europe, with the continent registering the highest weekly incidence of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
16/10/2020
SBS News
Amid COVID surge, WHO urges Europe to step up controls now to save lives
New infections are hitting 100,000 cases a day in Europe, with the continent registering the highest weekly incidence of COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
16/10/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus hard border row amps up as Mathias Cormann accuses WA Premier of playing politics
Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says the "truth is finally seeping out" over WA's hard border closure, accusing the State Government of keeping it closed to some states without justification.
16/10/2020
9 News
What step three out of lockdown could look like for Melbourne
Melbourne will move to a variation of step three of its roadmap out of lockdown on Sunday, although restrictions are not expected to drastically ease as first planned.
16/10/2020
9 News
Victoria's tough lockdowns under review today, as pubs cry out for permission to reopen
The state's controversial five-kilometre movement limit will be reviewed when new modelling is done today, with hopes it could be expanded to 20-kilometres.
15/10/2020
ABC News
Grain forecast to fall millions of tonnes short as West Australian farmers start harvest
The state's harvest estimate is expected to be scaled back to under 12 million tonnes. WA farmers have made a steady start to their harvest programs, delivering 3,000 tonnes so far. While some areas have struggled, growers in the northern wheatbelt are hoping for an average season.
15/10/2020
SBS News
Unemployment edges higher but remains below 7 per cent
Australia's unemployment rate has edged up from 6.8 to 6.9 per cent, with almost 30,000 jobs lost last month. Economists had been expecting a bigger rise, after the unemployment rate unexpectedly dipped in August from a high of 7.5 per cent in July.
15/10/2020
RT
O is good to go? Blood type plays key role in vulnerability to Covid-19, new research claims
A person’s blood type could play a key role in their vulnerability to Covid-19, with type O people less likely to catch the bug while types A and AB are most at risk, freshly released research has found. Two independent studies published on Wednesday found that blood type O is something of a security blanket when it comes to coronavirus. Those with this blood type were found to be less likely to catch the disease and also had a reduced risk of suffering severe complications if they do get sick.
15/10/2020
Sky News
BHP confirms drop in Chinese coal demand
The chairman of mining giant BHP has admitted China's demand for the company's coal has fallen as fears escalate over a freeze of Australian exports. BHP Chairman Ken MacKenzie revealed a number of BHP's Chinese customers have asked to defer shipments of Queensland coal.
15/10/2020
Sky News
BHP confirms drop in Chinese coal demand
The chairman of mining giant BHP has admitted China's demand for the company's coal has fallen as fears escalate over a freeze of Australian exports. BHP Chairman Ken MacKenzie revealed a number of BHP's Chinese customers have asked to defer shipments of Queensland coal.
15/10/2020
ABC News
Shepparton coronavirus testing facilities overwhelmed but officials promise more capacity will be available soon
Three positive cases in the northern Victorian city have prompted hundreds to try to get tested. Jeroen Weimar apologised for delays and said more testing resources would be in place as soon as possible. Local residents are bitterly disappointed at the outbreak saying just one "intruder" has caused havoc.
15/10/2020
Sky News
Victoria truckie super spreader could face criminal charges
A Melbourne truck driver – who has been identified as a coronavirus super spreader – has been referred to Victoria Police for illegal travel movements which prompted a surge of infections in regional Victoria.
15/10/2020
ABC News
WHO Doctor says lockdowns should not be main coronavirus defence
The World Health Organisation is now urging governments worldwide to stop using lockdowns as their primary method of controlling the spread of COVID-19.
15/10/2020
SBS News
Daniel Andrews' office vandalised as discontent simmers around Victoria's coronavirus restrictions
Daniel Andrews’ office has been vandalised for the second time in less than a month, as disquiet about Victoria’s coronavirus lockdown continues to simmer.
14/10/2020
BBC News
Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its corals since 1995
Australia's Great Barrier Reef has lost more than half of its corals since 1995 due to warmer seas driven by climate change, a study has found. Scientists found all types of corals had suffered a decline across the world's largest reef system.
14/10/2020
SBS News
Climate change, pandemics and 'fascist extremism' are among Australia's biggest security risks, says Home Affairs chief
Home Affairs Secretary Mike Pezzullo said Australia's national security faces threats from the natural world, not just armed attacks.
14/10/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus case numbers in Victoria and New South Wales are similar. So why is Sydney open and Melbourne in lockdown?
Daniel Andrews' Government is facing an increasingly restless public and calls from the State Opposition and Federal Government to ease the state's tough lockdown to restrictions more like NSW's.
14/10/2020
Sky News
Coronavirus shutdowns 'are not about politics now' as mental health crisis emerges
Labor MP Peter Khalil said leaders and politicians cannot sacrifice the health and wellbeing of the people under their care for the sake of attempting to eradicate the coronavirus. Health figures released by this morning by the government revealed more than one million Australians had sought mental health support and resources during the pandemic.
14/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Chinese steel mills begin ‘diverting’ Australian coking coal as Canberra seeks clarification on reported ban
Australian coking coal ordered by Chinese steel mills is being diverted following a ban by Beijing, analysts say. Canberra says it is seeking answers from Chinese government, but stresses China is ‘an important regional partner’.
13/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong researchers find common ulcer drug could be effective in halting coronavirus replication in patients
Researchers say the drug could be as effective as the new Covid-19 drug remdesivir, which is currently in short supply amid the pandemic. The medication, which contains the metal bismuth, works by interrupting the process by which the virus replicates inside cells.
13/10/2020
SBS News
'Wilfully destructive': Natural disasters nearly double under climate change, UN says
A sharp increase in major disaster events in the last 20 years is largely attributable to a rise in climate-related disasters, a UN report has said.
13/10/2020
SBS News
Victorian COVID-19 cases stay in double figures as Premier Daniel Andrews faces no-confidence motion
Victoria has recorded 12 new coronavirus cases and one death, in the state's sixth-straight day of cases in the double figures.
13/10/2020
SBS News
Australian government aware of reports Chinese companies 'given notice' to stop importing coal
International commodity news outlets reported on Monday that several Chinese power companies had been given an order to stop importing Australian coal, amid ongoing tensions.
13/10/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus restrictions in UK move to tiered lockdown system as PM Boris Johnson announces new measures
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced a tiered lockdown system for local authorities in England, including shutting down pubs in the north-western city of Liverpool, as the country struggles to contain rising coronavirus infections.
12/10/2020
BBC News
How Covid-19 is changing the flu
Humanity hasn’t always lived with the flu. Could this era of social distancing hasten its demise?
12/10/2020
Zero Hedge
7 Predictions: How 2020 Comes To An End
America is at a crossroads with revolution on our doorstep. On one side are the Patriots; those who seek to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution. On the other side are Marxist insurrectionists; those who believe that America is evil and the cause of so many problems in world.
12/10/2020
Zero Hedge
WHO Flip-Flops: Urges World Leaders To Stop Using Lockdowns To Fight COVID Contagion
In a stunning rebuke of the "science" and the "doctors" and leftist politicians and career bureaucrats in the US and across much of The West, The Epoch Times' Evan Pentchoukov reports that The World Health Organization’s special envoy on COVID-19 has urged world leaders to stop using lockdowns as the primary control method against the spread of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus.
12/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Another Los Angeles County child diagnosed with rare Covid-19-related syndrome, bringing total to 41
Another Los Angeles County child has been diagnosed with a rare, potentially deadly syndrome believed to be related to the coronavirus, according to the county Health Department, bringing the total number of children with the ailment in the region to 41.
12/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Under fire, Boris Johnson to unveil new coronavirus measures to stem spread in UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will set out new measures to try to contain a growing coronavirus crisis on Monday, outlining three new alert levels to better coordinate the government’s under-fire response.
12/10/2020
SBS News
North Korea unveils 'monster' new missile in coronavirus-defying parade
Analysts have described the previously-unseen intercontinental ballistic missile as the largest of its kind anywhere.
12/10/2020
ABC News
Sydney news: Labor steps up fight for mandatory masks on public transport
There are renewed calls from the NSW Opposition for face masks to be made mandatory on public transport after a confirmed COVID-19 case travelled on a Sydney bus.
12/10/2020
9 News
Trump says he's virus free and 'immune', ready for campaign trail
President Donald Trump declared he was healthy enough to return to the campaign trail, a day after the White House doctor said he was no longer at risk of transmitting the coronavirus, but did not say explicitly whether Trump had tested negative for it.
12/10/2020
9 News
Thunderstorms in Queensland, Perth set for warm spell
A broad low pressure trough over central and southeast WA is generating showers and storms, some severe.
12/10/2020
News Corp
Coronavirus Australia: Northern Territory removes Sydney from COVID-19 hotspot list
It has been off limits for months – but from today, Sydneysiders can finally cross the border without two weeks of quarantine.
12/10/2020
News Corp
Coronavirus: WA could face harder domestic border restrictions, Premier Mark McGowan says
The WA Premier warns the “easy decision” to bring the state’s hard border down could bring on stricter restrictions for the hardlined state.
12/10/2020
News Corp
Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Chris Eccles resigns
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has responded after his right hand man made the shock decision to stand down over crucial phone records.
9/10/2020
Zero Hedge
Did The WHO Just (Accidentally) Confirm COVID Is No More Dangerous Than Flu?
The World Health Organization has finally confirmed what we (and many experts and studies) have been saying for months – the coronavirus is no more deadly or dangerous than seasonal flu.
9/10/2020
The Australian
Department of Health investigates coronavirus outbreak at Box Hill Hospital
Health authorities are scrambling to contain an outbreak at a Melbourne hospital before the government decides next week if the city can be freed of coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
9/10/2020
9 News
Coronavirus alerts for another Sydney restaurant, seven train services and two bus services
Health alerts have been issued for another Sydney restaurant, seven train services and two bus services linked to New South Wales' newest coronavirus cases.
9/10/2020
Today News
Vaccine researchers 'alarmed' after discovering COVID-19 strain has evolved
One of Australia's leading vaccine researchers has admitted to being "alarmed" after discovering the global COVID-19 strain has evolved.
8/10/2020
Youtube
8/10/2020
9 News
Severe weather warning issued for Tasmania, with flash flooding and 100kph gusts expected
Rain has begun falling in Tasmania's north and east, with flash flooding and wind gusts of up to 115 kilometres per hour forecast for parts of the state.
8/10/2020
9 News
Weather forecast Australia: Severe weather warnings for several states as La Nina arrives in Australia
Several states are bracing for an intensifying system forecast to dump up to 120 millimetres of rain and cause possible flash flooding as La Nina arrives in Australia.
8/10/2020
Science Daily
Supercharged 'clones' spark scarlet fever's re-emergence
A University of Queensland-led team of international researchers says supercharged "clones" of the bacteria Streptococcus pyogenes are to blame for the resurgence of the disease, which has caused high death rates for centuries.
8/10/2020
9 News
Weather forecast Australia: Severe weather warnings for several states as La Nina arrives in Australia
Several states are bracing for an intensifying system forecast to dump up to 120 millimetres of rain and cause possible flash flooding as La Nina arrives in Australia.
8/10/2020
9 News
Trump returns to Oval Office and tweets up storm, says he 'feels great'
President Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office today for the first time since being discharged from hospital due to COVID-19.
8/10/2020
RT News
A scientific review of the science behind lockdown concludes the policy was a MISTAKE & will have caused MORE deaths from Covid-19
The report, analysing the information available to UK policymakers in March, says schools shouldn’t have shut, that only vulnerable groups like the old should have been isolated, & that herd immunity may have been a better route.
8/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Study on infant in Brazil suggests coronavirus ‘does not efficiently spread into brain’
A one-year-old infant who died from Covid-19 had a concentration of the virus in just a small part of the brain, suggesting it may have a limited ability to reproduce there, according to Brazilian researchers.
8/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Study on infant in Brazil suggests coronavirus ‘does not efficiently spread into brain’
A one-year-old infant who died from Covid-19 had a concentration of the virus in just a small part of the brain, suggesting it may have a limited ability to reproduce there, according to Brazilian researchers.
8/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Australia budget to bolster supply chains, domestic industry post-coronavirus and amid China turmoil
Australia’s new budget commits funding to help diversify supply chains and support domestic manufacturing as disruptions stemming from the coronavirus outbreak and continued trade frictions with China have reinforced the need for self-sufficiency.
7/10/2020
SBS News
Australia's net migration intake drops to negative levels for the first time since World War II
Australia’s net migration intake is set to fall into negative levels for the first time since World War II and not recover to pre-pandemic levels for more than four years, the federal budget revealed on Tuesday.
7/10/2020
ABC News
NSW confirms three locally acquired coronavirus cases as Queensland 'border clock' resets
For the first time in almost two weeks health authorities in NSW have discovered locally acquired coronavirus infections.
7/10/2020
SBS News
Australia's budget assumes a coronavirus vaccine will be ready next year. Is that likely?
The Australian federal budget, unveiled on Tuesday, bases several assumptions on Australians having access to a COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.
7/10/2020
Zero Hedge
The Pandemic That Killed Debate
Carl Sagan famously said, “the cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.” This wisdom has been sadly forsaken during the COVID19 pandemic, when one powerful narrative has taken not only the public, but the scientific community, by storm.
7/10/2020
Zero Hedge
The Pandemic That Killed Debate
Carl Sagan famously said, “the cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.” This wisdom has been sadly forsaken during the COVID19 pandemic, when one powerful narrative has taken not only the public, but the scientific community, by storm.
7/10/2020
Politico News
Trump advisers consult scientists pushing disputed herd immunity strategy
The Trump administration’s health chief met Monday with a trio of scientists who back the controversial theory that the United States can quickly and safely achieve widespread immunity to the coronavirus by allowing it to spread unfettered among healthy people.
6/10/2020
ABC News
Excel glitch leads to nearly 16,000 confirmed coronavirus cases going unreported in United Kingdom
The British Government has launched an investigation into how nearly 16,000 new coronavirus infections went unreported as a result of a technical glitch.
6/10/2020
SBS News
Is this the event that caused coronavirus to start surging through the White House?
At least eight people who attended an event at the White House Rose Garden a week ago have since been diagnosed with COVID-19, including US President Donald Trump.
6/10/2020
Zero Hedge
Lockdown: The New Totalitarianism
The means of transition usually involve the takeover and deployment of society’s most powerful tool: the state. For this reason, ideologies trend totalitarian. They depend fundamentally on overriding people’s preferences and choices and replacing them with scripted and planned belief systems and behaviors.
6/10/2020
9 News
Bali's exploding coronavirus death rate could make island last place Aussies return to
Deserted beaches resemble those of the 1980s before the island's tourism boom and Kuta's party strip has an undeniably eerie vibe with dance floors and bar tables empty and rarely a reveller in sight.
6/10/2020
RT News
Trump leaves hospital after being treated for Covid-19, as Democrats slam him for setting ‘dangerous' example with quick return
US President Donald Trump has been discharged from the Walter Reed Medical Center after having spent three days being treated for the coronavirus. Democrats have accused him of rushing his release for the sake of politics.
6/10/2020
South China Morning Post
From no symptoms to sudden death: immune system holds clues to wide range of coronavirus outcomes
One of Covid-19’s scariest mysteries is why some people are mildly ill or have no symptoms and others rapidly die – and scientists are starting to unravel why.
5/10/2020
The Independent
South Korea donates 50,000 tonnes of rice to North as 10 million people at risk of starvation
South Korea is donating 50,000 tonnes of rice and £3.5m to North Korea as a severe drought and resulting food shortages puts 10.1m at risk of starvation.
5/10/2020
The Independent
Billionaires should help fight hunger amid Covid-19, says UN
Billionaires should "step up" and do more to help prevent millions dying of hunger during the coronavirus pandemic, the head of the UN's World Food Programme said.
5/10/2020
Zero Hedge
The Police Are Requesting Data From People's Smart-Speakers At An Alarming Rate
Nearly ten years ago, writers like Brandon Turbeville and others were warning that “smart technology” and the “internet of things” were being developed for surveillance and manipulation purposes. (Despite the companies’ claims of greater convenience.) We’ve been in a virtual dragnet for years.
5/10/2020
The Independent
Coronavirus: How to stay safe on a flight
Whether it’s with enthusiasm or hesitation, there’s no denying that more and more passengers are taking to the skies again once more.
5/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Leaked documents reveal tougher coronavirus measures and new lockdown planned for England
A new three-tier lockdown is being planned for England, The Guardian newspaper reported, citing leaked government documents which revealed tougher measures that could be implemented locally or nationally if the government fails to get Covid-19 cases under control.
5/10/2020
The Independent
Hunger on the rise in South Sudan with 1.5 million on brink of starvation, despite peace deal
Rebecca has eaten nothing for seven days. The emaciated mother of five, 38, recently injured her arm while gathering wild fruit – and in South Sudan‘s punishing dry season, this is all her family have lived off for months.
5/10/2020
9 News
Northern Territory on flood watch as it prepares for biggest rainfall in years
Significant rain is expected over the coming days across southern parts of the Northern Territory as a slow-moving low pressure trough, fed with tropical moisture, lingers over the region.
5/10/2020
9 News
Northern Territory on flood watch as it prepares for biggest rainfall in years
Significant rain is expected over the coming days across southern parts of the Northern Territory as a slow-moving low pressure trough, fed with tropical moisture, lingers over the region.
5/10/2020
9 News
Countries across Europe set grim COVID-19 records as restrictions are reimposed
As Europe transitions from summer into autumn, countries that claimed to have the coronavirus under control are once again seeing a surge in infections.
2/10/2020
9 News
Premier announces softer restrictions along Western Australia's 'hard border'
The Western Australian government has announced a cautious softening of its border restrictions, with hotel quarantine no longer mandatory.
2/10/2020
South China Morning Post
Donald Trump’s four years in power has ‘totally changed manufacturing’, say US firms forced to rethink supply chains
When Donald Trump was elected US President in 2016, almost all of M Group Corporation’s high-end hotel furniture fittings were made in China.
2/10/2020
Zero Hedge
President Trump, First Lady Test Positive For COVID-19
Update (0100ET): President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Thursday night tweet. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" he added.
2/10/2020
ABC News
Overseas travellers in hotel quarantine become SA's latest coronavirus cases
A man and a woman in hotel quarantine have been confirmed as South Australia's latest coronavirus cases.
2/10/2020
RT News
Threats of house arrest and sacking will not be enough to persuade people to take the Covid vaccine
The establishment's push for a compulsory Covid vaccine is well underway, with top medical journal the NEJM the latest to call for one. But people power is against them, and no amount of propaganda will help them get their way.
1/10/2020
SBS News
Victoria's coronavirus death toll hits 800 amid two new fatalities and 15 new cases
The number of mystery cases of COVID-19 and its 14-day average continues to fall.
1/10/2020
South China Morning Post
China launches largest maritime patrol ship amid rising regional tensions
Vessel will be used to manage and control maritime traffic, help with emergency support and safeguard nation’s interests, transport ministry says. It could also be used to boost so-called grey zone tactics in contested waters, according to analyst.
1/10/2020
ABC News
WA coronavirus border won't come down until 28 days of no community spread anywhere in Australia
The threshold to open the border is 28 days without community spread. Epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws says there are better targets.
1/10/2020
Business Insider
Greenland ice sheet loss already 'unprecedented' and set to accelerate
Worst-case predictions say Greenland will be melting 600 per cent faster than its present rate by the end of the century. That alone could add around 30 centimetres to sea levels, without accounting for Antarctic melting. Cutting our emissions rapidly buys us time to adapt to rising sea levels.
30/09/2020
News.com.au
Victoria’s opposition wants to re-open hotel quarantine inquiry’s evidentiary phase
There are growing demands for Daniel Andrews to reopen the hotel quarantine inquiry after damning new evidence emerged about the scheme.
30/09/2020
Independent
Armenia claims fighter jet shot down by Turkey as conflict with Azerbaijan grows
Armenia said that one of its fighter jets was shot down in its confrontation with Azerbaijan, blaming Turkey’s air force despite denials by both Ankara and Baku. The downing of the plane underscored the threat of recently renewed fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region expanding beyond the breakaway enclave and raising the possibility of all-out war between the two neighbours and the involvement of regional powers.
30/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s shadow looms as New Caledonia decides whether to leave France
The Pacific island territory will hold its second vote on whether to go its own way, after the first referendum in 2018 saw 57 per cent vote to remain. With China increasingly making its presence felt in the region, there are fears that New Caledonia could fall under its influence.
30/09/2020
ABC News
Victoria records 13 new coronavirus cases, four deaths as Melbourne's 14-day average continues falling
Victoria has recorded 13 new coronavirus infections and four deaths overnight, with the 14-day rolling infection averages in Melbourne and regional areas falling again. Metropolitan Melbourne's 14-day average has dropped from 18.2 yesterday to 16.4 today.
30/09/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus experts cautiously support Scott Morrison's plan for 'safe' international arrivals
Since March, overseas arrivals have been required to spend two weeks in hotel quarantine. But the Government is mulling whether visitors from "safe" nations can quarantine at home instead Epidemiologists say while the plan could work, any major breach would be disastrous.
30/09/2020
SBS News
Australian jobseekers could soon be incentivised to work on regional farms
The federal budget due on Tuesday will likely include measures to help plug labour shortages in the farm sector threatening the harvest of fruit and vegetables.
30/09/2020
SBS News
Australia has a widespread coronavirus travel ban. Why is Cardinal George Pell able to leave the country?
Cardinal George Pell has departed Sydney for Rome, despite a ban preventing Australian citizens travelling overseas.
29/09/2020
News.com.au
The huge weather change coming this summer - La Nina declared
A massive shift in one of Australia’s key climate drivers has been declared today and that could bring a dramatic change to summer weather.
29/09/2020
News.com.au
Mandatory hotel quarantine could be replaced with home detention
The PM has confirmed Australia’s mandatory hotel quarantine scheme could be scrapped in favour of a system that allows home detention.
29/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: US case of reinfection ‘may affect vaccine research’
Scientists say a patient in a Seattle nursing home tested positive for a mutated strain a few months after recovering from an earlier variety. Findings suggest that the antibodies formed after the first infection did not offer strong protection against the second, team says.
29/09/2020
SBS News
When the coronavirus pandemic hit Africa, experts predicted disaster. But that hasn't happened
Puzzled scientists are now trying to understand why Africa's fatality rates have been lower than predicted.
29/09/2020
SBS News
Coronavirus tests that give results in minutes to be rolled out around the world, WHO says
Low and middleincome countries will get access to more than 100 million rapid diagnostic tests for coronavirus, the World Health Organization (WHO) says.
29/09/2020
ABC News
How coronavirus is linked to an increase in complex mental illness, including psychosis, in young adults and older people
While it was still very early days in the pandemic, evidence from a handful of papers from other viral diseases, including SARS and MERS, and studies from the unfolding situation in Asia suggested coronavirus might actually lead to an increase in people experiencing psychosis. The onset of psychosis is usually seen in people in their late teens to early 20s. But the data coming out of China suggested there was also a significant increase in people in their 50s and 60s experiencing psychosis for the first time.
25/09/2020
South China Morning Post
‘Lockdown Lite’: nations test new strategy to fight coronavirus outbreaks
Fresh off a summer of relative freedom after harsh lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic, Europe is trying a new strategy to halt next coronavirus surge: Lockdown Lite. This comes as the European Union’s disease control agency warned that seven EU countries are of “high concern” because of rising virus death rates.
25/09/2020
Off Guardian
UK’s “Daily Covid Deaths” didn’t die in one day & didn’t all have Covid
It won’t surprise any of you to learn that they are STILL manipulating the “daily deaths” numbers.
25/09/2020
7 News
Westpac fined a record $1.3 billion for anti-money laundering law breaches
Westpac has agreed to pay a $1.3 billion penalty for breaching anti-money laundering and counter terrorism financing laws.
25/09/2020
Off Guardian
COVID World – Resist!
COVID 19 is being used to create a global fascist dictatorship. From New Zealand to the the U.S, so called western democracies have adopted and developed the Chinese model of technocracy to create a single biosecurity State.
24/09/2020
Sky News
Damning documents reveal PM urged Andrews to accept ADF support
Letters obtained exclusively by Sky News have revealed Prime Minister Scott Morrison pressured the Victorian Premier to accept ADF troops during the state's tragic second wave of COVID-19.
24/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China-US rivalry: Asian countries fear getting caught in a new Cold War
Despite their deep economic relations with China, some Southeast Asian nations are ‘starting to question whether a Chinese form of governance is palatable’, analyst says. The world ‘cannot afford a future where the two largest economies split the globe in a great fracture’ UN secretary general says.
24/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s economy undergoing ‘two very different recoveries’, study that counters official data says
Independent research firm China Beige Book claims its survey shows an alternative narrative to Beijing’s official economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus. Survey of 3,300 firms across China shows a disjointed recovery away from the ‘corporate elites’ in the coastal hubs of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong.
24/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 12 new cases and two new deaths as easing of restrictions looms
Premier Daniel Andrews says he could go further than expected when he announces an easing of Melbourne's coronavirus restrictions.
24/09/2020
ABC News
Queensland aged care and hospital visits allowed from tomorrow after another day of zero coronavirus cases
Visitors will be allowed in aged care homes and hospitals across Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan from Friday, the Health Minister Steven Miles has announced. The announcement coincides with another day of no new cases in Queensland, and marking 14 days since the last suspected infectious case in the community.
24/09/2020
ABC News
Deepfake videos increasingly difficult to detect as people, computers struggle to keep up
A Facebook challenge revealed computers can only detect 65 per cent of deepfake videos. Melbourne researchers believe the human eye is no better at detecting fakes.
23/09/2020
Zero Hedge
COVID-19: Does Sweden Have Herd Immunity?
In spite of this relaxed attitude, the death rate has continued to drop. When I wrote the first article, I wrote that covid had killed under 6,000 people. How many people have died now, six weeks later? Actually, we’re still at under 6,000 deaths. On average, one to two people per day are dying of covid in Sweden at present, and that number continues to drop.
23/09/2020
American Institute for Economic Research
Open Letter from Medical Doctors and Health Professionals to All Belgian Authorities and All Belgian Media
The following letter has made an impact on public health authorities not only in Belgium but around the world. The text could pertain to any case in which states locked down their citizens rather than allow people freedom and permit medical professionals to bear the primary job of disease mitigation.
23/09/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus may increase risk of neurological conditions including Parkinson’s disease
As scientists are still learning about how the coronavirus invades the brain and the long-term neurological consequences that poses, some fear we’re headed for a “silent” third wave, this time combined with Parkinson’s disease.
23/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: genetic mutation linked to schizophrenia may cause less severe Covid-19 symptoms
The rs4702 gene may let coronavirus replicate more rapidly, especially in the brain; a mutation in that gene may limit the illness but lead to schizophrenia. It may be good news for individuals but not the pandemic, with low levels of virus able to spread without being detected by the immune system.
23/09/2020
SBS News
Australia joins WHO-backed global COVAX pool to ensure coronavirus vaccine access
Australia is now at the front of the queue to access coronavirus vaccines, when they become available, after joining a global pool backed by the World Health Organisation. The COVID-19 facility known as COVAX gives Australia access to a large portfolio of vaccine candidates and manufacturers across the world.
23/09/2020
ABC News
Victoria records 15 new coronavirus cases and five deaths, Melbourne's daily case average below 30
Victoria has recorded 15 new coronavirus cases overnight and five more people with COVID-19 have died. Metropolitan Melbourne's daily new case average has dropped to 29.4, down from 32.8 yesterday, keeping the city on track for a slight easing of restrictions next Monday.
22/09/2020
ABC News
Hundreds of elephants died in mysterious circumstances. Now we may have an answer.
Earlier this year, in June, stories of mystery elephant deaths began filtering out of Botswana in southern Africa. The dying animals were said to be weak, emaciated, disorientated and even partially paralysed. A witness saw one stumbling in circles, unable to change direction.
22/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Chinese drug firm aims to roll out US$88 vaccine this year
China National Biotec Group is applying for conditional regulatory approval to start universal vaccination programme. Whole population could get shots in two or three years, if given the go-ahead, CNBG executive suggests.
22/09/2020
ABC News
Queensland to reopen borders to five local government areas of NSW
Queensland will extend its border zone to include five more areas in New South Wales. From 1:00am on October 1, Byron Bay, Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Glen Innes local government areas will be able to travel into Queensland.
22/09/2020
ABC News
Climate change blamed as Arctic Ocean ice cover shrinks to second-lowest level on record
The lowest recorded level of Arctic sea ice was 3.4 million square kilometres in 2012. Temperatures for much of this year were 8 to 10 degrees Celsius above normal in the Siberian Arctic. Warming of the Arctic and the melting of sea ice changes weather further south.
22/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Britain raises coronavirus alert level, warning of high transmission
Prime Minister Boris Johnson expected to unveil further restrictions to slow spread of Covid-19. Top medical officers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland warn of exponential increase, upgrade alert from three to four – the second-highest level.
22/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 28 new cases, three deaths as poll shows majority back Daniel Andrews' coronavirus response
Melbourne's 14-day case average fell to 32.8, well below the target of 50 to lift some virus restrictions from 28 September. Just 45 cases with an unknown source were recorded in the city in the past fortnight.
21/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China bans German pork imports after African swine fever case
China banned pork imports from Germany on Saturday after the EU country confirmed its first case of African swine fever last week, in a move set to hit German producers and push up global prices as China’s meat supplies tighten.
21/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: illness that halted AstraZeneca vaccine trial unlikely to be linked to shot, Oxford says
Symptoms that prompted the University of Oxford and partner AstraZeneca to pause trials evaluating their experimental coronavirus vaccine probably were not related to the shot itself, according to documents sent to participants.
21/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: constantly surprising virus found to be heat tolerant, self-healing and very resilient in lab tests
A research team in Hungary pinched the coronavirus with a fine needle to measure how much force it could take before popping like a balloon.
21/09/2020
60 Minutes
World-first research has discovered COVID-19 survivors could experience life-long symptoms and long-term side-effects
Researchers at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney studying more than 100 recovering COVID-19 patients have found that even those who experienced mild cases of the virus are being struck down by long-term side-effects.
21/09/2020
NewScientistIs Sweden's coronavirus strategy a cautionary tale or a success story?
Sweden was one of the few European countries not to impose a compulsory lockdown. Its unusual strategy for tackling the coronavirus outbreak has been both hailed as a success and condemned as a failure. So which is it?
20/09/2020
Daily MailAll passengers on Epstein's flight logs to be named 'sparking panic among rich pals'
EXCLUSIVE: The Attorney General for the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein had a home, has demanded logs for his four helicopters and three planes, from 1998 to his suicide last year.
18/09/2020
New York Times
First Famines of Coronavirus Era Are at World’s Doorstep, U.N. Warns
The first famines of the coronavirus era could soon hit four chronically food-deprived conflict areas — Yemen, South Sudan, northeast Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo — the top humanitarian official of the United Nations has warned.
18/09/2020
9 News
The 2020 bushfire season is coming, here's what you can expect
As Australians continue to grapple with one of the worst bushfire seasons the country has ever experienced, experts are urging people to prepare themselves once again.
18/09/2020
Zero Hedge
World Bank Warns Recovery Could Take "Five Years"
Global economic activity around the world has stabilized in mid-September, though far below pre-COVID-19 levels as recoveries risk reversing if monetary and fiscal stimulus is not continued at rates seen in the first half of 2020. We noted Wednesday, a new OECD report offered some hope the global downturn is not as severe as previously thought but is still viewed as an "unprecedented" decline.
18/09/2020
ABC News
Qantas boss Alan Joyce, business groups slam approach to state borders during coronavirus pandemic
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce, tourism and business groups express their growing frustration over blanket state border closures they see as driven by politics not health advice.
18/09/2020
9 News
WHO warns of 'very serious situation' in Europe, with 'alarming rates' of virus transmission
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that coronavirus cases are surging alarmingly in Europe, as a "very serious situation" unfolds across the continent.
18/09/2020
9 News
Bacterial outbreak infects thousands after factory leak in China
Several thousand people in northwest China have tested positive for a bacterial disease, authorities said, in an outbreak caused by a leak at a biopharmaceutical company last year.
18/09/2020
9 News
Victoria records 45 new coronavirus cases and five deaths
Victoria has recorded a spike in coronavirus cases with 45 new infections as the state hits a grim new milestone of over 20,000 cases.
18/09/2020
9 News
Report sheds light on neurological condition suffered by COVID-19 vaccine trial participant
CNN has obtained an internal safety report by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca that sheds light on the neurological condition suffered by one of the participants in its coronavirus vaccine clinical trial.
17/09/2020
SBS News
Australia's new employment figures spur hopes of an economic recovery, with more than 100,000 new jobs created last month
The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 6.8 per cent in August from 7.5 per cent the previous month, fuelling optimism that Australia may have passed the worst of the pandemic recession.
17/09/2020
BBC
Covid pushes New Zealand into worst recession in years
New Zealand is in its deepest recession in decades, following strict measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic which were widely praised. The country's GDP shrank by 12.2% between April and June as the lockdown and border closures hit.
17/09/2020
News.com.au
Australia’s COVID-induced recession could last four long years
Experts fear Australia’s deep recession, sparked by coronavirus and lockdowns, could last for years – amid the worst jobs data in two decades.
17/09/2020
7 News
Grocery Fears
Vegetable prices in supermarkets are set to soar.
17/09/2020
7 News
Twitter suspends account of Chinese 'whistleblower' who claimed COVID was made in Wuhan lab
Twitter has suspended the account of a Chinese virologist who claimed to have proof COVID-19 was man-made in a Wuhan lab. Li-Meng Yan, a scientist who conducted some of the earliest research on coronavirus, posted her claims publicly on the open-access repository website Zenodo on September 14.
17/09/2020
Reuters
AstraZeneca's trial illnesses may not be due to COVID-19 shot - Oxford University
The adverse events that led to a pause in trials evaluating AstraZeneca Plc's AZN.L COVID-19 vaccine candidate may not have been associated with the vaccine itself, according to a document outlining participant information that was posted online by the Oxford University.
17/09/2020
SBS News
Melbourne residents face $5,000 fine if caught trying to sneak into regional Victoria
Beefed-up fines and roadblocks have been introduced to safeguard regional Victoria as it eases COVID-19 restrictions.
17/09/2020
SBS News
Regional Victorians awake to eased coronavirus rules while Melbourne residents remain within 'ring of steel'
Locked-down Melburnians are looking on with hope and envy as regional Victorians revel in eased COVID-19 restrictions.
17/09/2020
ABC News
Victoria records 28 new coronavirus cases as Melbourne's 14-day average drops
Victoria has recorded its lowest increase in coronavirus cases in about three months, as the state's 14-day averages continues to fall. The state reported 28 new infections overnight and eight further deaths with COVID-19.
16/09/2020
SBS News
Antibody study suggests at least 70,000 Australian coronavirus cases may have gone undetected
A study of COVID-19 antibodies suggests 71,400 Australians could have had the virus in July, meaning about 60,000 cases were undetected at that time.
16/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Chinese vaccine ready for use in November, top scientist says
Clinical trials have been progressing smoothly and preparations are being made to go into mass production, CDC’s chief biosafety expert Wu Guizhen says.
16/09/2020
News.com.au
Australian weather: Choking heat in WA, heavy rain in SA, NSW, Victoria
With choking heat in the west and significant rain in the east, Australia is set to be bookended by weird weather in the coming days.
16/09/2020
SBS News
Melbourne's 14-day case average drops below 50 as Victoria records 42 new infections and eight deaths
Victoria has had eight coronavirus deaths, taking the state's toll to 737 and the national figure to 824, as Melbourne's new cases average dropped below 50.
16/09/2020
News.com.au
Melbourne surrounded by ‘ring of steel’ as regional restrictions ease
A heavily policed “ring of steel” is forming around Melbourne as fears grow over city-dwellers attempting to sneak out for a taste of freedom.
16/09/2020
ABC News
Aged care residents giving up due to COVID-19 and isolation, nurses fear
Nurses sent in to help Melbourne's coronavirus-ravaged aged care facilities say they are gravely concerned for residents — even those without COVID-19 infections — who have been stuck in "solitary confinement" for months.
16/09/2020
ABC News
Could the Government make a COVID-19 vaccine mandatory in Australia?
Existing powers in Victoria and WA to require an individual to be vaccinated are impractical for use on a mass scale. Mandating a vaccine could contravene charters of human rights in some states. But governments have other means of encouraging vaccine uptake, such as withholding welfare payments.
15/09/2020
News.com.au
City closer to Adelaide than Melbourne locked down despite zero cases for five months
A city of 30,000 people closer to Adelaide than Melbourne is locked down despite zero cases for five months. They have a message for the Premier.
15/09/2020
South China Morning Post
From Australia to India and the Philippines, are coronavirus lockdowns working?
The state of Victoria has one of the world’s harshest restrictions on movement, while citizens in European capitals are patronising bars and restaurants. While lockdowns saved lives, they also inflicted huge social and economic costs – and experts say we will not know the full impact, good or bad, for decades.
15/09/2020
South China Morning Post
South China Sea heats up as Indonesia shadows Chinese ship near Natuna Islands
Jakarta lodges protest with Beijing after Chinese coastguard ship spends two days in its exclusive economic zone. Pursuit of the ship by Indonesia’s maritime security agency Bakamla shows a hardening of Indonesia’s stance, expert says.
15/09/2020
ABC News
Zero COVID-19 deaths yesterday in Victoria, with 42 new coronavirus cases recorded
Victoria has recorded 42 new coronavirus infections and no deaths overnight, as the 14-day case averages in regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne continue to fall.
15/09/2020
Reuters
In Brazil, it’s not just the Amazon that’s burning. The world’s largest wetland is on fire too
A fire has been burning since mid-July in the remote wetlands of west-central Brazil, leaving in its wake a vast charred desolation bigger than New York City.
15/09/2020
Reuters
Potential sign of alien life detected on inhospitable Venus
Scientists said on Monday they have detected in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus a gas called phosphine that indicates microbes may inhabit Earth’s inhospitable neighbor, a tantalizing sign of potential life beyond Earth.
14/09/2020
SBS News
Six months ago, the WHO declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. How has the situation changed since then?
On 11 March, the World Health Organisation declared the deadly coronavirus a pandemic. Six months on the world is a very different place.
14/09/2020
SBS News
How the coronavirus attacks the brain
The coronavirus targets the lungs foremost, but also the kidneys, liver and blood vessels. Still, about half of patients report neurological symptoms, including headaches, confusion and delirium, suggesting the virus may also attack the brain.
14/09/2020
ABC News
NSW records four new cases of coronavirus, one from local transmission
Health authorities in NSW say they are concerned about declining testing rates after confirming four new coronavirus cases.
14/09/2020
9 News
Man jailed for eight months after two WA quarantine breaches within days
A man has been jailed for eight months in Western Australia for breaching the state's quarantine rules twice.
14/09/2020
9 News
Mystery cases threaten easing of Victorian lockdown, warns top doctor
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth has warned that the 99 mystery coronavirus cases in Melbourne are the greatest threat to restrictions easing.
14/09/2020
9 News
Victoria's lockdown restrictions ease with possible further changes later this week
Regional Victoria moved down to stage three restrictions as of midnight, meaning they are now allowed to socialised outdoors in groups of up to five people from a maximum of two households.
14/09/2020
9 News
How Google can predict where the next coronavirus hotspot will be
With the world in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, it is not surprising Doctor Google is working overtime as people search for an explanation when they feel unwell.
14/09/2020
Zero Hedge
From 9/11 To COVID-19: Nineteen Years Of Permanent "Emergency"
During March and April of this year - during the early days of the covid-19 panic - each day came to be accompanied by a general feeling of dread. As new emergency orders and decrees rained down from governors, mayors, and faceless health bureaucrats, I wondered, What new awful thing will governments think up today? As business and churches were closed by government edict, politicians increasingly were threatening to arrest and jail ordinary citizens for doing things that were perfectly legal mere days before.
14/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus symptoms: what are the common signs of Covid-19?
Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, is a respiratory disease with common symptoms including fever, tiredness and dry cough, according to the World Health Organisation.
14/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus vaccines could be ready for Hong Kong next April, while social-distancing curbs may remain for rest of 2021, government health adviser says
Covid-19 vaccines will be ready for Hong Kong residents next April at the earliest, but social-distancing rules could remain in place for the rest of 2021 until the city develops herd immunity through the immunisation programme, according to a government health adviser.
11/09/2020
News Corp Australia
Coronavirus: Europe says it’s ‘learning to live with COVID-19’
It may be difficult to think that six months ago, Italy was the worst-affected country in the world for coronavirus.
11/09/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: New border testing in WA as state reaches virus landmark
Western Australia has gone more than 150 days without community transmission of COVID-19, with today marking five months since a locally acquired case was identified.
11/09/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: Victoria records 43 new COVID-19 cases, nine deaths
Victoria has diagnosed 43 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, marking the eighth day in a row where the state has recorded double-digits in daily case numbers.
11/09/2020
Dailymail
Killer Asian hornet is spotted in Hampshire after experts warned a plague of the insects that can eat 50 honey bees a day is on its way to UK
A venomous Asian hornet has been spotted in Hampshire just weeks after experts predicted a plague of the pests were on their way to the UK.
11/09/2020
Intellinews
Fears grow of bubonic plague spreading from Mongolia to China but experts say anxieties are misplaced
Fears are reportedly growing in China that the bubonic plague, known in the Middle Ages as the “Black Death”, could spread into the country from Mongolia, which earlier this week reported its third fatality this year from the disease. The infection and death rates from bubonic plague in Mongolia are at their highest in a decade. However, health experts say there are only rare cases of human-to-human transmission of the bubonic plague.
10/09/2020
News.com.au
JobSeeker, JobKeeper ending will reveal massive recession crisis
In just 14 days time, hundreds of thousands of Australians will have their weekly earnings slashed - and then the real financial pain will begin.
10/09/2020
ABC News
Gas outage in Mount Gambier sees thousands without hot water, stovetop cooking after meter incident
The overnight incident at the city's gas meter station is being investigated. A timeline for reinstating the main gas supply has not been established. Qualified gas fitters will be required to manually restart many appliances.
10/09/2020
Zero Hedge
1000s Of Cases But Zero Hospitalizations In American Colleges: Good News But States Force Draconian Lockdowns
Remember the goal of flattening the curve? Ensuring that hospitals weren’t overrun? Well, what do you call a scenario where thousands of cases result in zero hospitalizations? I’d call it the ultimate flat curve – or downright flat line. Yet rather than recognizing the detection of mild cases among college students as portents of good news, universities continue to sow panic for no good reason.
10/09/2020
SBS News
China accuses Australia of 'blatant irrational behaviour' over treatment of journalists, deepening tensions
China's foreign ministry has once again taken aim at Australia, accusing it of violating the rights of foreign Chinese journalists in the country.
10/09/2020
News.com.au
Border restrictions: Mark Keans told to choose which child to visit him in hospital with cancer
A Sydney father with terminal cancer has been asked to choose which of his children to see as only one of four will be able to cross the border to Queensland to visit their dying dad.
10/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 51 new coronavirus cases as the state death toll passes 700
Victoria has had another seven coronavirus deaths, taking the state toll to 701 and the national figure to 788.
10/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China-India border dispute: PLA bombers pictured close to troubled region
Images released by Central Theatre Command show at least three Xian H-6 bombers at base thought to be in Tibet . Western Theatre Command says its troops took part in a live-fire air-defence exercise in a ‘northwestern desert’, believed to be in Xinjiang.
10/09/2020
Food Mag
Australians feel pinch at grocery checkouts
New research from dunnhumby, a company that specialises in customer data science, reveals over a third of Aussies (35 per cent) have noticed the price of groceries across the country is increasing, with many feeling their money being stretched during the COVID-19 pandemic.
10/09/2020
ABC News
'Died from' or 'died with' COVID-19? We need a transparent approach to counting coronavirus deaths
There's been confusion, however, over whether reported death statistics reflect those who've died from COVID-19, or those who've died with the virus. The COVID-19 death toll publicised daily on Australian state and territory government websites and reported to the press does not differentiate between the two.
9/09/2020
The New Daily
ABS data points to two-speed economic recovery
New data shows the Australian economy is experiencing a two-speed recovery, with payroll jobs in the month to August 22 falling by 2 per cent in Victoria and rising by 0.1 per cent in the rest of Australia.
9/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 11 deaths as new coronavirus infections spike
Victoria has recorded another 11 coronavirus deaths, taking the state toll to 694 and the national figure to 781, with a spike in new cases of 76.
9/09/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus case in Ipswich shuts St Edmund's College as eight new cases are recorded in Queensland
Queensland has recorded eight new cases of coronavirus suspected to be linked to existing clusters.
9/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: AstraZeneca pauses Oxford vaccine trial after unexplained illness
Company’s experimental Covid-19 shot has been seen as one of leading candidates to reach market. News sends AstraZeneca shares falling sharply, while rivals Moderna and BioNTech SE see their shares rise.
8/09/2020
ABC News
Australians urged to backpack in their own backyards and stop fruit going to rot
The horticulture industry warns of a looming labour shortage. Growers say the problem will get worse next year after working holidaymakers return home. Strawberry grower Di West is appealing to Australians' sense of patriotism to fill farm jobs.
8/09/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia: Melbourne lockdown ‘longer than Wuhan’
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has taken aim at Victoria's roadmap, arguing it would have "profound mental health consequences".
8/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Chinese drug firm says hundreds of thousands have been given Covid-19 vaccines without a single case of infection
An official from China National Biotec Group says the evidence from an emergency use scheme suggests the products are working. Company is also confident its vaccines can offer protection for up to three years.
8/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria has recorded 55 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths
Victoria has recorded 55 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths in the past 24 hours, as Premier Daniel Andrews says restrictions are having "considerable success".
8/09/2020
ABC News
The global search for the COVID-19 vaccine will likely produce more than one winner
While we do not know when a COVID-19 vaccine will arrive, there are some indications we may need more than one shot. Experts say we may need a booster shot or a combination of vaccines could be administered. According to several experts, mutations of the SARS CoV-2 virus should not hinder the vaccine race.
8/09/2020
ABC News
How do pandemics usually end? And how will this one finish?
Just over 100 years ago, a new strain of influenza infected a third of the world's population — but within just three years, the threat of this deadly flu had all but passed. This was a time before modern medical care and even before humans understood what viruses were. So what's changed since then?
8/09/2020
ABC News
NSW is the 'gold standard' for COVID-19 management according to the PM — here's why
It's being dubbed Australia's coronavirus success story — open businesses, (mostly) open borders, and slow infection growth. Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday described NSW's test-and-trace strategy as the "gold standard" in COVID-19 suppression.
7/09/2020
SBS News
Mobile coronavirus testing launched in Angaston after positive wastewater test in Barossa town
More than 200 UN staff have been infected by COVID-19 in Syria as the global body steps up contingency plans to combat the fast spread of the pandemic in the country.
7/09/2020
SBS News
Over 200 UN staff in Syria test positive to coronavirus
SA Health will run a mobile coronavirus testing clinic set up in Angaston this week after wastewater from the Barossa Valley town returned a positive result for COVID-19 over the weekend.
7/09/2020
RT News
The 1% blunder: How a simple but fatal math mistake by US Covid-19 experts caused the world to panic and order lockdowns
In February, US Covid guru Anthony Fauci predicted the virus was ‘akin to a severe flu’ and would therefore kill around 0.1 percent of people. Then fatality rate predictions were somehow mixed up to make it look ten times WORSE.
7/09/2020
9 News
COVID-19's 'serious, long-term impact' can improve with time, early evidence suggests
COVID-19 can have lasting impacts on the body, but there is hope that patients can not only recover over time, but can do so more quickly with pulmonary rehabilitation, preliminary research suggests.
7/09/2020
9 News
Coronavirus Victoria: What you need to know about the 14-day case average and how the state's tracking
For restrictions to be lifted further on September 28, Melbourne must record an average of between 30 and 50 new cases over a 14-day period.
7/09/2020
ABC News
Queensland records two new cases of coronavirus as Ipswich Hospital cluster grows
Queensland has recorded two new cases of coronavirus overnight. Health Minister Steven Miles said one, a woman in her 30s, was a healthcare worker at Ipswich Hospital.
7/09/2020
ABC News
Vaccine experts 'surprised' over Government's 'optimistic' COVID-19 vaccine rollout timeline
Vaccine experts have cautioned against the Federal Government's plan to have a COVID-19 vaccine ready by January next year, saying the "surprising" and "optimistic" time frame means safety measures could be "short-circuited".
4/09/2020
9 News
Victoria records another 59 coronavirus deaths and 81 new cases
Victoria has recorded another 59 coronavirus deaths as the state government prepares to reveal its roadmap out of lockdown.
4/09/2020
9 News
South Australia eases coronavirus restrictions on weddings, funerals, bars and football crowds
South Australia will ease COVID-19 restrictions on wedding and funeral numbers, eating and drinking at bars and football attendance from midnight.
4/09/2020
9 News
Europe pushed the limit of how far to reopen, now it may be too late to prevent a second virus wave
Coronavirus cases in Europe are "almost back" to the levels seen in March when infection rates first peaked, scientists have warned as concerns grow over a potential second wave.
4/09/2020
9 News
Seven of eight state and territories working to have open borders by Christmas: PM
Seven of eight state and territories working to have open borders by Christmas, the Prime Minister has confirmed.
3/09/2020
9 News
Treasurer reveals plan to kickstart Australian economy from worst slump since Great Depression
The government is considering fast-tracking person tax cuts to boost the economy as Australia experiences its worst slump since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
3/09/2020
9 News
Congo sees increase in plague, at least 10 deaths this year
Congo is seeing an upsurge in cases of the plague, as the vast Central African nation also battles outbreaks of COVID-19 and Ebola.
3/09/2020
9 News
NSW records 12 new coronavirus cases including one in Parkes from an unknown source
New South Wales has recorded 12 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24-hour reporting period, including one in the Central West region.
3/09/2020
9 News
Victoria records 113 new coronavirus cases, 15 more deaths
Victoria's tough COVID-19 measures are having the desired effect in containing the virus despite a rise in new cases today, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
3/09/2020
Reuters
U.S. CDC tells states to prep for COVID-19 vaccine distribution as soon as late October
(Reuters) - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has asked state public health officials to prepare to distribute a potential coronavirus vaccine to high-risk groups as soon as late October, documents published by the agency showed on Wednesday.
3/09/2020
USA Today
Fact check: CDC's data on COVID-19 deaths used incorrectly in misleading claims
The claim: Only 6% of reported COVID-19 deaths were the result of the coronavirus
2/09/2020
CNBC
Fauci debunks theories of low CDC coronavirus death toll: ‘There are 180,000-plus deaths’ in U.S.
Fauci told the ABC program “Good Morning America” on Tuesday that the CDC guidance, last updated on Aug. 26, indicates that of the people who have died from the virus, “a certain percentage of them had nothing else but just Covid.” However, people with underlying illnesses also die from Covid-19, he said.
2/09/2020
ABC News
Two new cases of coronavirus recorded in Queensland, both linked to existing COVID-19 cases
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says two new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the state overnight. Ms Palaszczuk said the latest cases were linked to existing known cases and authorities were comfortable with the results. She said the cases in South East Queensland were "contained" and did not consider the current outbreak significant.
2/09/2020
7 News
Victoria coronavirus cases at 90 and six deaths as end of Stage 4 nears
Victoria has recorded a slight increase in coronavirus cases as the planned end for Stage 4 nears. On Wednesday, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed there had been 90 cases in the past 24 hours, which is more than a dozen more than a day earlier. There have also been six further deaths recorded.
2/09/2020
SBS News
Josh Frydenberg set to announce first Australian recession in almost 30 years
Figures for the June quarter are expected to show the worst economic growth in at least 60 years, with a contraction of around six per cent because of the coronavirus pandemic. The data will confirm a technical recession, after a 0.3 per cent decline in gross domestic product in the March quarter.
2/09/2020
ABC News
Epidemiologist calls for mass testing of Melburnians with no coronavirus symptoms
The State Government has stopped short of allowing people with no COVID-19 symptoms to get tested. A large proportion of COVID-19 cases are infectious but asymptomatic. Downsides to mass testing include the costs, and risk of clogging the sytem.
2/09/2020
ABC News
Western Australia posts warmest winter on record as dozens of towns break heat records
WA's mean maximum temperature was 2.38C above average. Dozens of towns broke heat records across the state. Statewide rainfall was 46 per cent below the seasonal average.
2/09/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s coronavirus epicentre Wuhan returns to life, but economic scars run deep
Months after Wuhan reported its last coronavirus infection, much of the city appears to have returned to normality. But interviews with dozens of local residents show deep psychological scars and economic damage still lingers.
1/09/2020
Reuters
Scientists see downsides to top COVID-19 vaccines from Russia, China
High-profile COVID-19 vaccines developed in Russia and China share a potential shortcoming: They are based on a common cold virus that many people have been exposed to, potentially limiting their effectiveness, some experts say.
1/09/2020
ABC News
Australia Post set to break parcel delivery record, but service struggles with coronavirus demand and delays
But the service is struggling to keep up with demand and is plagued with delays, particularly in Victoria where online shopping is booming but the workforce is limited by the lockdown.
1/09/2020
SBS News
Despite travel bans, fruit pickers from the Pacific will arrive in the NT this month
Australian farmers have been given the green light to recruit seasonal workers from the Pacific and Timor Leste. It's a relief for workers and farmers, they tell SBS News.
1/09/2020
SBS News
Victoria records another 70 coronavirus cases and 5 deaths as vote looms on state of emergency
The Victorian parliament is on Tuesday likely to vote to extend the state of emergency, which Daniel Andrews initially wanted to extend by 12 months.
1/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: mass Covid-19 testing set to begin in Hong Kong as more than 553,000 sign up amid arguments over scheme
Hong Kong confirmed nine new Covid-19 cases on Monday, the day before the start of mass testing to identify invisible coronavirus carriers in the city, but arguments continued over the effectiveness and safety of the scheme.
1/09/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus may survive on outdoor surfaces for longer in autumn, US study suggests
Researchers find it could linger for up to a week outside in lower temperatures and humidity – more than the one to three days in summer. That could ‘potentially contribute to new outbreaks’ in northern hemisphere, they warn in non-peer-reviewed pape.
31/08/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia: Mental health crisis looms as COVID-19 impacts all aspects of life
A major crisis is brewing in the shadow of coronavirus that will impact millions of Australians, even if they don’t catch the disease themselves, for years to come.
31/08/2020
ABC News
How do coronavirus antibody treatments work and what do they mean for COVID-19?
Much of the world's attention has been captured by the race for a coronavirus vaccine.
31/08/2020
9 News
Queensland private school closed after student tests positive
A Queensland private school will remain closed today after a student tested positive for coronavirus on the weekend.
31/08/2020
ABC News
China doubles down on Australia trade dispute with further probe into wine subsidies
China has escalated further its trade dispute with Australia by initiating a second investigation into Australian wines in less than a month, this time focusing on subsidised products.
31/08/2020
9 News
Sydney CBD cluster fears did not materialise, NSW reports 10 new cases
NSW recorded 10 new cases of coronavirus overnight, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian claiming the CBD cluster was now under control.
31/08/2020
ABC News
COVID-19 and the consequences of cascading and compounding disasters
First the fires, then storms, then floods, then COVID, the more floods and more storms. 2020 has been rough. Not just here but abroad, too.
31/08/2020
Zero Hedge
2020's Economic Destruction Due To The State's COVID Response Will Pale In Comparison To What's Coming!
Concerning economics in the United States today, the hierarchy begins with the top tier of self-proclaimed elites, those in central and high level banking, those in the large corporate world, those at the top of the ‘healthcare’ pyramid, and those controlling monetary and economic policy above the level of government, including the class running the large tax exempt foundations. While government is below this level, it is nonetheless responsible for the economic carnage because it is the initiator and enforcer of policies meant to enrich the few at the top at the expense of the many. This could never be more evident than it is today.
31/08/2020
Reuters
Mutated coronavirus strain found in Indonesia as cases jump
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A more infectious mutation of the new coronavirus has been found in Indonesia, the Jakarta-based Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology said on Sunday, as the Southeast Asian country’s caseload surges.
28/08/2020
Zero Hedge
Science Is Not About Consensus
Newsflash; real science is based on facts not “consensus”. I’m sick and tired of idiots beating me over the head with pseudoscience instead of sticking to the cold, hard facts. Show me the hard data that standing six feet from someone is necessary.
28/08/2020
9 News
Senior Chinese diplomat casts doubt on coronavirus originating in China
Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi has cast doubt on coronavirus originating in China during an address in Oslo, Norway.
28/08/2020
ABC News
The Victorian branch of Pauline Hanson's One Nation says we should follow the COVID-19 approach of Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan. Here's why that's problematic
CoronaCheck is RMIT ABC Fact Check's weekly email newsletter dedicated to fighting the misinformation infodemic surrounding the coronavirus outbreak.
28/08/2020
9 News
Weather forecast Australia: More fire danger for WA and a warm weekend for Sydney
Victoria was buffeted by severe storms overnight, and today there are more severe fire warnings for WA — continuing this week's trend for extreme weather around the country.
28/08/2020
9 News
Yarra Valley Water issues tap water warning to 88 Melbourne suburbs after disaster storm
A mega 250,000 Melbourne households are unable to drink tap water this morning after a power outage during a destructive storm caused untreated water to enter the supply system.
28/08/2020
Summit News
Two Sydney schools closed after positive COVID-19 cases
Two Sydney schools were closed today after a staff member tested positive to COVID-19.
28/08/2020
7 News
Prime Minister Scott Morrison makes impassioned plea about interstate borders
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made an impassioned plea about the impact on everyday Australians of the nation’s interstate border closures.
28/08/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: Victoria records 113 new cases, 12 lives lost all linked to aged care
Victoria has today recorded 113 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 further deaths. The latest numbers indicate a drop in the number of daily fatalities after the state recorded 23 deaths yesterday.
28/08/2020
7 News
Prime Minister Scott Morrison makes impassioned plea about interstate borders
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has made an impassioned plea about the impact on everyday Australians of the nation’s interstate border closures.
28/08/2020
Summit News
Australia: Authorities Give Themselves Power to Remove Children From Parents to Ensure COVID Compliance
Schedule 2 of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act 2020 amends the Emergency Response Act 2004 to create new powers during “declared emergencies.”
28/08/2020
RT News
‘Famine of biblical proportions’ looms over humanity due to Covid-19, UN food chief warns
The Covid-19 pandemic may lead to a calamity of epic scale, with millions facing starvation worldwide, the head of the UN’s hunger-fighting body has warned.
27/08/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus testing in Melbourne went down — here's why some Aussies are avoiding the swab
On Wednesday, New South Wales announced it had carried out more than 25,000 tests, with Queensland conducting more than 20,000 tests. In contrast, Victoria only recorded 13,480.
27/08/2020
9 News
Foreign government deals at risk of being scrapped as PM seeks to boost powers
In an unprecedented show of constitutional powers, the Morrison Government is legislating new laws which would see a raft of deals with foreign governments wiped out. The Foreign Relations Bill, which has been propelled by national security fears, will give the foreign minister powers to review and cancel existing agreements set up by state governments, local councils and public universities.
27/08/2020
7 News
Woman may have caught coronavirus from airplane toilet, researchers say
Researchers say they have evidence that a woman caught coronavirus on a flight - perhaps in the plane’s toilet. The 28-year-old woman was among about 300 South Koreans evacuated from Italy at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in Milan in March, the researchers wrote in a US Centers for Disease Control publication. “On the flight from Milan, Italy, to South Korea, she wore an N95 mask, except when she used a toilet,” they wrote.
27/08/2020
SBS News
Queensland prisons in full lockdown after trainee officer contracts coronavirus
Prisons across Queensland have been placed into lockdown after an officer who helped to train employees tested positive to coronavirus.
27/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria coronavirus cases rise by 113 as state records 23 further COVID-19 deaths
Today's figures are down from 149 cases and 24 deaths on Wednesday. It comes as the State Government compromises on its 12-month extension to state of emergency laws.
26/08/2020
9 News
Australians researchers test breakthrough antibody therapy to defeat virus
Australian researchers are working on a coronavirus antibody program that could treat and prevent COVID-19, especially among the elderly and vulnerable.
26/08/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 24 deaths and 149 new coronavirus cases on second deadliest day of pandemic
Victoria has suffered a sharp rise in coronavirus deaths with 24 new fatalities, taking the state toll to 462 and national figure to 549.
26/08/2020
9 News
Premier vows to bring 'full force of the law' as investigation launched into superyacht family
The Queensland premier has vowed to bring "the full force of the law" on anyone found to be breaching the state's strict health exemption rules.
26/08/2020
ABC News
Five mystery coronavirus cases confirmed in NSW
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says there has been six new coronavirus infections in her state in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday.
26/08/2020
9 News
NSW records six new COVID-19 cases, one in hotel quarantine
There are six new cases of coronavirus in NSW, one in isolation in hotel quarantine. The other five are locally acquired without a known source, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said today.
26/08/2020
SBS News
Hong Kong researchers report first case of coronavirus reinfection
There are concerns in Hong Kong after researchers there uncovered what they believe is the first case of COVID-19 reinfection.
25/08/2020
Zero Hedge
Let's Follow The History Of Science Instead
Democratic Presidential hopeful Joe Biden is only the most high-profile politician to promise voters that he will “listen to the scientists,” mandate masks, and shut down the economy again if they so advise.
25/08/2020
Reuters
Qantas to cut up to 2,500 jobs as it outsources ground handling in Australia
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) said on Tuesday it planned to cut up to 2,500 jobs by outsourcing its Australian ground handling operations to lower costs as it braces for a A$10 billion ($7.17 billion) hit to revenue due to the pandemic this financial year.
25/08/2020
SBS News
Yes, it has been raining a lot. But that doesn't mean Australia's drought has broken
Heavy rain in parts of Australia in recent months has raised hopes Australia’s protracted drought is finally over. But determining whether a region has recovered from drought is a complex undertaking.
25/08/2020
ABC News
South Australia to reverse coronavirus travel restrictions on Victorian border towns
South Australia's tough new border restrictions intended to combat the spread of coronavirus from Victoria will be relaxed just days after coming into effect, the SA Premier has confirmed.
25/08/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus hard lockdown of Melbourne public housing towers left residents feeling like 'criminals', inquiry hears
Victoria's hard lockdown of some of Melbourne's most vulnerable residents last month left the community feeling anxious, fearful and as if they were being "treated like criminals".
25/08/2020
9 News
Queensland man who attempted multiple illegal border crossings gets 200 hours community service
A Queensland man has been handed 200 hours of unpaid community service for breaching the state's COVID-19 health directions.
25/08/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 148 new coronavirus cases, eight deaths as battle to extend state of emergency looms
Victoria has recorded 148 new cases of coronavirus and eight more deaths, as it becomes increasingly unlikely Premier Daniel Andrews' bid to extend the current state of emergency for 12 months will pass parliament.
25/08/2020
ABC News
About '70 to 80pc' of Victorian healthcare workers with COVID-19 caught it at work, Government reveals
The Victorian Government says about "70 to 80 per cent" of healthcare workers infected with COVID-19 during the state's second wave of infections caught it at work.
25/08/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: Queensland COVID-19 clinics overwhelmed as thousands rush to be tested
Coronavirus testing clinics in Brisbane have been overwhelmed as thousands of Queenslanders heed health advice to get tested after a number of new cases were identified at the weekend.
25/08/2020
9 News
High-risk coronavirus locations revealed in Victoria
A list of high-risk locations for contracting coronavirus in Victoria have been revealed by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
25/08/2020
9 News
South Australia reinstates border 'buffer' with Victoria
The "buffer" zone between the South Australia-Victorian border will be reinstated, in a string of changes made to the state's coronavirus restrictions.
24/08/2020
ABC News
Convalescent plasma coronavirus treatment granted emergency use authorisation in US by FDA
US President Donald Trump has claimed credit for the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of the use of convalescent plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients in treating the disease.
24/08/2020
Business Insider
A swarm of locusts of biblical proportions is threatening the food supply of 20 million people in East Africa
Swarms of locusts in East African countries are threatening the food supply of more than 20 million people at a time when food is already scarce because of the coronavirus pandemic.
24/08/2020
ABC News
Do I need to wear a mask in Queensland? Five key points from Dr Jeannette Young's coronavirus press conference
There are now 10 cases linked to the outbreak at a Brisbane youth detention centre, bringing Queensland's number of active COVID-19 cases to 18.
24/08/2020
ABC News
Where are the Queensland COVID hotspots, how many cases are there, and which symptoms mean I need a test?
Queensland's coronavirus cluster is growing, and authorities are trying to stem the outbreak before it gets out of control.
24/08/2020
9 News
Victoria virus cases drop to lowest point in seven weeks, 15 new deaths
Victoria has reported 116 new coronavirus cases, its lowest level since July 5, and 15 deaths in the past 24 hours.
24/08/2020
SBS News
South Korea had largely controlled the coronavirus outbreak but it's now under tight restrictions again
South Korea ramped up coronavirus restrictions on Sunday to try to contain a growing outbreak, as many countries around the world battled worrying surges in infections.
24/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: China has been using Covid-19 vaccine candidate on key workers since July, health official says
China has been administering Covid-19 vaccine candidates to selected groups of workers, including medical staff and border inspection officials, for more than a month, a senior health official said on Sunday.
24/08/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus update: Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci praises Australia's COVID-19 response
Top US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci says Australia is among the countries held up as an example of those that have managed COVID-19 the right way.
21/08/2020
9 News
Victoria records 179 new cases, lowest daily total in more than a month
Victoria has recorded another day of decline coronavirus case, with 179 new cases diagnosed in the past 24 hours.
21/08/2020
9 News
Red eyes and conjunctivitis new symptoms of COVID-19
Doctors are noticing a number of new signs emerge in patients presenting to hospital with COVID-19, Dr Carmel Crock from the Royal Victorian Ear and Eye Hospital in Melbourne has told Today.
21/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Into the unknown: virus hunters and their quest to stop the next pandemic
For months, the World Health Organisation has been preparing an international mission to China to find the origins of the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.
21/08/2020
9 News
NSW records just one new coronavirus case
New South Wales has recorded just one new case of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
21/08/2020
SBS News
Greg Hunt won't rule out stripping welfare benefits from people who refuse coronavirus vaccine
Health Minister Greg Hunt has refused to rule out a proposal to strip welfare from people who refuse a coronavirus vaccine.
21/08/2020
ABC News
How far do coronavirus testing swabs go up your nose?
Most of us have heard a horror story about COVID-19 testing, where it feels like the swab goes right through to the person's brain.
21/08/2020
9 News
No new coronavirus cases in Queensland after detention centre scare
No new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Queensland overnight, with authorities breathing a sigh of relief after a scare at a Brisbane juvenile detention centre.
20/08/2020
ABC News
China, Russia, the US and UK have all picked COVID-19 vaccine 'winners' — this week is Australia's turn
A COVID-19 vaccine — the thing that will bring back some semblance of normality to Australian lives. And yesterday — according to the Federal Government, at least — it got that little bit closer.
20/08/2020
Business Insider
'We're an airline that can't really fly': Qantas has reported a full-year loss of $1.96 billion, as COVID-19 continues to slam the airline industry
Qantas has reported a statutory loss of $1.96 billion for the last financial year. CEO Alan Joyce lamented the fact that, despite a strong first half year, the global pandemic had meant the airline “can’t really fly to many places”. He claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic had punched a $4 billion hole in revenue.
20/08/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus Victoria: 240 new cases, 13 deaths recorded
The new figures came after Premier Daniel Andrews said Victoria‘s lockdown is at risk of being extended because of a major issue facing the state, despite falling case numbers.
20/08/2020
7 News
Brisbane youth detention centre worker confirmed as positive, tracing underway
A woman worked at a Brisbane detention centre while sick before testing positive for coronavirus. The 76-year-old woman’s diagnosis was confirmed by Queensland government said on Thursday, sparking urgent contract tracing.
20/08/2020
South China Morning Post
China-India border dispute: advanced fighter jets sent to nearby airbases
Two J-20s seen at Hotan airbase in China’s Xinjiang region, while India has deployed five new Rafales to Ladakh, according to media reports. As tensions remain high, the two neighbours are seeking to gain the advantage on the roof of the world.
20/08/2020
ABC News
Scott Morrison walks back mandatory coronavirus vaccination comments
Mr Morrison said on Wednesday morning he would expect the vaccine would be as "mandatory as possible". He has now walked back those comments, saying nobody will be forced to be vaccinated.
20/08/2020
ABC News
Sweden took a gamble with its herd immunity coronavirus strategy. Was it worth it?
Sweden's coronavirus suppression strategy was an experiment that few other nations dared champion. The country's approach has been more liberal than the lockdowns imposed in neighbouring countries or, indeed, around the world.
20/08/2020
Microsoft News
Thousands die unrelated to COVID and ‘none have resulted in lockdowns’
The Australian Bureau of Statistics have released a report listing the causes of death in Australia, all of which have not resulted in lockdowns, according to Sky News host Paul Murray.
19/08/2020
Business Insider
Australia's trade partnership with China may have just passed its peak, as wine exports become the latest dispute
China’s commerce ministry commenced an investigation into allegations that Australian producers were ‘dumping’ wine into the Chinese market at artificially low prices. While federal MPs, including Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, dispute the allegations, the investigation opens a 12-month window for the Chinese government to take action against Australian exports.
19/08/2020
ABC News
COVID-19 symptoms are most likely to appear in a specific order, research finds
There are many reasons why coronavirus is difficult to control, but the fact it mimics the symptoms of other common viruses, including the flu, presents a major hurdle. But new evidence suggests there is a certain order in which COVID-19 symptoms appear, and researchers hope their findings will enable earlier testing.
19/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: developing a vaccine is one problem to solve, getting people to use it is another
Vaccination hesitancy may harm the chances of reopening communities. Medical experts say rapid vaccine development is causing public anxiety but wide-scale immunisation may be the only route back to a safe society.
19/08/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 216 coronavirus infections and 12 deaths as spotlight falls on testing rate
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has cautioned that lower testing rates might be linked to a recent run of lower case numbers.
19/08/2020
7 News
Study finds coronavirus droplets can be spread by flushing public urinals
A new study suggests flushing public urinals can spread coronavirus. The research, conducted in China, found that flushing a urinal causes an “alarming upward flow” of droplets. Some of those may be COVID-19 particles.
19/08/2020
ABC News
Australia locks in coronavirus vaccine deal to produce Oxford University-AstraZeneca candidate if approved
The Australian Government has signed an agreement with AstraZeneca to secure Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine, if trials prove successful. If it is successful, Australia will be able to manufacture it domestically. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has pledged to make the vaccine free for all Australians.
19/08/2020
SBS News
Scott Morrison says a coronavirus vaccine would be 'as mandatory as you can possibly make it'
Scott Morrison says a coronavirus vaccine will be "as mandatory as you can possibly make it" for Australians if a trial is successful.
18/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria records another 17 deaths amid sharp drop in new coronavirus case numbers
Victoria has recorded 222 new COVID-19 cases, its lowest figure in a month, while 17 more deaths take the state toll to 351 and the national figure to 438.
18/08/2020
ABC News
Perth Royal Show cancelled as WA phase 5 eased restrictions pushed back in WA by two months
The new phase 5 date of October 24 remains "tentative", the WA Premier says. Next month's Perth Royal Show has been cancelled based on health advice. WA has one new COVID-19 case after a returning resident tested positive.
18/08/2020
7 News
Only three new coronavirus cases reported across New South Wales
New South Wales has reported three new coronavirus cases overnight from more than 13,000 tests. Two of the cases were locally transmitted and one was diagnosed in a returned traveller.
17/08/2020
ABC News
Auckland's coronavirus cluster grows by 12 as calls intensify to postpone New Zealand's election
New Zealand's deputy PM Winston Peters has sided with the opposition to ask Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to postpone the country's election.
17/08/2020
ABC News
Auckland's coronavirus cluster grows by 12 as calls intensify to postpone New Zealand's election
New Zealand's deputy PM Winston Peters has sided with the opposition to ask Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to postpone the country's election.
17/08/2020
ABC News
Two men fined for breaching ACT coronavirus self-isolation requirements
Two men have been fined $1,000 for flouting the ACT's COVID-19 isolation rules in separate incidents over the weekend.
17/08/2020
SBS News
How climate change is spreading current diseases and could expose new epidemics
Global warming is boosting the spread of tropical diseases as mosquitoes travel to temperate regions. If it melts the world's permafrost, it has the potential to unleash pathogens trapped for centuries.
17/08/2020
9 News
Sydney high school closed, trial HSC exam postponed after student tests positive
A top Sydney selective school has been forced to close and HSC trial exams have been put on hold after a student tested positive for coronavirus.
17/08/2020
9 News/p>
France records highest one-day rise since May; New Zealand reports 13 new cases
France has recorded its highest one-day rise in coronavirus infections since May, New Zealand is reporting 13 new cases and vacationers to Italy are now undergoing mandatory screenings upon arrival.
17/08/2020
9 News
Hambleton House care home residents to be evacuated by tonight after major quarantine breach
Residents at a Melbourne special accommodation facility are due to be evacuated by tonight after a breach in coronavirus restrictions.
17/08/2020
9 News/p>
NSW records seven new cases of coronavirus
New South Wales has recorded seven new cases of coronavirus. Six of those were community transmission while one was a returned traveller from overseas, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed.
14/08/2020
9 News
Queensland records two new cases of coronavirus
Queensland has recorded two new cases of COVID-19 after four days of no new infections.
14/08/2020
9 News/p>
Top doctors confirm there is 'no evidence' you can get COVID-19 through food
Health experts say there's no evidence the coronavirus can be transmitted through food.
14/08/2020
9 News
Trump rejects call for masks for all Americans from US presidential candidate Joe Biden
US presidential candidate Joe Biden is calling for an America-wide protective mask mandate, citing health experts' predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months.
14/08/2020
9 News/p>
Coronavirus data Victoria: How many COVID-19 cases in your suburb and postcode
Suburbs in Melbourne's west have the greatest number of active coronavirus cases, health data has revealed.
14/08/2020
9 News
Victoria records 372 new virus cases, 14 additional deaths
Victoria has recorded 372 new virus cases and 14 additional deaths, health authorities have confirmed.
14/08/2020
9 News
Coronavirus spreads outside of Auckland as boy, six, tests positive
Virus hunters in New Zealand are racing to determine whether the mystery outbreak after 100 days COVID-free could have been freighted into the country in frozen food or even remain frozen in a cold storage facility for weeks.
14/08/2020
Reuters
Into the fog: How Britain lost track of the coronavirus
To tackle the invisible virus, doctors and health specialists first needed to find it. But with few tests, little contact tracing and a government culture of secrecy, they lost sight of the enemy.
14/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus latest: more than 750,000 dead as Europe struggles with second virus wave
The total number of people killed by the coronavirus pandemic around the world passed 750,000 on Thursday, with some countries toughening control measures as caseloads once again creep up.
13/08/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus New Zealand: Virus hunters investigate frozen food risk
Virus hunters in New Zealand are racing to determine whether the mystery outbreak after 100 days COVID-free could have been freighted into the country in frozen food or even remain frozen in a cold storage facility for weeks.
13/08/2020
7 News
Victoria records 278 new coronavirus cases and eight deaths
Victoria has reported fewer than 300 coronavirus cases in 24 hours, for the first time in more than a fortnight.
13/08/2020
ABC News
Locust and coronavirus crises are threatening to drive large-scale famine in Africa
The arrival of locusts is an ominous and eerie sight. It's like a cloud has moved across the sun. The sky starts to darken, you hear a "clackety-clack" sound, and millions of locusts fly overhead.
13/08/2020
ABC News
Hand washing and social distancing decline in WA, sparking warnings of complacency
In July just 38 per cent of WA residents always practiced physical distancing. Adherence to hand hygiene guidelines has fallen sharply in recent months. Officials warn virus threat has not been eliminated in WA.
12/08/2020
News.com.au
New Zealand lockdown: Stage 3 restrictions after new coronavirus cases
Three colleagues of one of the new cases in New Zealand have been isolated after showing symptoms of COVID-19.
12/08/2020
7 News
Panic buying breaks out in New Zealand after mystery coronavirus cases emerge
Panic buying has broken out in Auckland after four mystery coronavirus cases were diagnosed in New Zealand’s largest city, the country’s first confirmed cases in 102 days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the shock news and plans to plunge the city’s 1.6 million residents into a snap stage three lockdown during a late-night press conference on Tuesday.
12/08/2020
South China morning Post
Coronavirus vaccine pre-orders top 5 billion in worldwide scramble for supplies
From Japan to Brazil, nations move to secure vaccines, while Russia claims world first with Sputnik V. Trump announces US$1.5 billion deal with Moderna for 100 million doses.
12/08/2020
South China morning Post
Coronaviruses are widespread among bats and rats sold for food, study warns
Study by Vietnamese researchers highlights how wild animal trade increases risk of humans becoming infected by diseases such as Covid-19. Coronaviruses were found in 58 out of 70 sites studied in the south of the country.
12/08/2020
SBS News
Auckland to go back into lockdown after New Zealand records first community coronavirus cases in 102 days
Residents in New Zealand’s largest city will go back into at least three days of lockdown after the country recorded four new coronavirus cases with no known source of infection.
12/08/2020
SBS News
Victoria records another 21 deaths and 410 new coronavirus cases on deadliest day of pandemic so far
Another 21 people have died and 410 Victorians have contracted coronavirus. The record number of deaths, tweeted by the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, takes the state toll to 267 and the national toll to 352.
12/08/2020
Reuters
Putin hails new Sputnik moment as Russia is first to approve a COVID-19 vaccine
President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a COVID-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing, a move Moscow likened to its success in the Cold War-era space race.
11/08/2020
7 News
Coronavirus vaccine could be available earlier than expected
Australia’s acting chief medical officer says he’s hopeful a coronavirus vaccine will be available soon.
11/08/2020
ABC News
Shoalhaven residents assess damage after worst flood on NSW South Coast since 1991
The deluge prompted hundreds of calls for help to the SES, which performed 28 flood rescues. Tallowa Dam spilled about 20 years' worth of local water use in just 24 hours. More than 13,000 homes were without power at the height of the event.
11/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Worldwide coronavirus cases hit 20 million
It took about six months to reach 10 million infections, but just 43 days to double that tally. US, Brazil and India account for more than half of known cases.
11/08/2020
ABC News
NSW coronavirus cases are steady, but 'bad luck' could send it the way of Victoria
As Victorian coronavirus cases surged, NSW shut the border and held its breath, hoping it would not see a similar outbreak. It hasn't, yet.
11/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria's coronavirus cases are declining, but when are we likely to see restrictions eased?
Experts say Melbourne should aim for daily case numbers in the double digits before lifting restrictions. The number of mystery cases is still high, overwhelming contact tracers. Some countries are living with the virus in low levels without eliminating it.
11/08/2020
9 News
Student tests positive to virus, sparking fresh health alert on NSW south coast
A fresh coronavirus case has prompted a health alert for the New South Wales south coast, just weeks after the region was hit by the virus. A student at Batemans Bay High School has tested positive to COVID-19, forcing the closure of the school as authorities begin contact tracing.
11/08/2020
SBS News
Another 19 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria as the state records 331 new cases
Victoria on Tuesday recorded 331 new coronavirus cases, and another 19 deaths. It's the second day in a row of a record 19 deaths. It brings the state's toll to 247 and the national figure to 332.
10/08/2020
SBS News
Should I wear a mask? What happened to the app? Your latest coronavirus questions
More than six months on from the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Australia, people are still asking questions about the transmission, tracing, and treatment of the virus. Here, health experts give their advice.
10/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Australia has deadliest day as New Zealand records 100 days without a domestic case
New Zealand on Sunday marked 100 days since it stamped out the spread of the coronavirus, a rare bright spot in a world that continues to be ravaged by the disease.
10/08/2020
9 News
Interactive: Australia's coronavirus cases by numbers and hotspot locations
As the number of COVID-19 cases skyrockets around the world, Australia continues its daily battle against the virus.
10/08/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cluster linked to Tangara School for Girls grows as 50,000 come forward for testing
The cluster of coronavirus cases at a school in Sydney's north west has grown to nine, health authorities have confirmed.
10/08/2020
ABC News
Number of active coronavirus cases among Victorian health workers hits 1,065 as Premier orders more N95 masks
There are now 1,065 active cases of COVID-19 among healthcare workers in Victoria, according to Premier Daniel Andrews.
10/08/2020
ABC News
Key takeaways from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews' latest coronavirus press conference
Victoria has recorded a record number of coronavirus deaths for the second consecutive day.
7/08/2020
9 News
More than 40 Victorian LGAs have mystery coronavirus cases
Forty-four local government areas across Victoria have been listed as hotspots for mystery cases of coronavirus.
7/08/2020
Reuters
U.S. lifts global health coronavirus travel advisory
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on Thursday lifted global advisories recommending U.S. citizens avoid all international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic, and instead issued a raft of high-level warnings for individual countries.
7/08/2020
ABC News
Queensland police to show 'no leniency' on coronavirus border restrictions as long delays expected at checkpoints
Police are urging patience as they ramp up checks at the border ahead of the looming shutdown to New South Wales and ACT residents early on Saturday morning.
7/08/2020
9 News
SA Opposition Leader going into isolation after visiting school cluster
A coronavirus cluster at an adult education college in Adelaide has forced approximately 1100 staff and students into self-isolation.
7/08/2020
9 News
Anti-mask rally organisers arrested for planning Melbourne protest
The organisers of an anti-mask rally planned for Melbourne's CBD this weekend have been arrested.
6/08/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 471 new coronavirus infections while Melbourne's aged-care cluster balloons to 1500
Victoria has recorded 471 new coronavirus cases overnight, down from a record-breaking daily tally of 725 on Wednesday.
6/08/2020
7 News
Health Minister Greg Hunt's message to people giving fake details at pubs and restaurants
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has delivered an impassioned plea for people to stop giving false details when going out to restaurants, pubs and clubs during the coronavirus crisis. “Right now each of us has this extraordinary gift... your actions can help save lives, protect lives or inadvertently risk the lives of others,” he told Sunrise on Wednesday.
6/08/2020
9 News
Student tests positive to COVID-19, forcing NSW school and two football clubs into self-isolation
A school and two football teams in New South Wales have been linked to a confirmed case of coronavirus, forcing students and players into self-isolation.
6/08/2020
News.com.au
No overseas flights for ‘a few years’: Virgin boss
Virgin’s boss predicts the coronavirus pandemic will halt international travel for the airline until at least 2023 after 3000 jobs were cut.
6/08/2020
ABC News
How this Sydney aged-care home averted a coronavirus disaster
It's a stark contrast to the aged-care disaster unfolding in Victoria — a group of nurses clapping and dancing in a nursing home, celebrating a major win against the coronavirus.
6/08/2020
ABC News
Why was there a COVID-19 outbreak in Colac's abattoir, but not one in Warrnambool?
Last month, two abattoirs in south-west Victoria were visited by inspectors who later tested positive for COVID-19 and were contagious while on site, but only one of the cases led to a large outbreak.
5/08/2020
ZeroHedge
Destroying Western Media's "Swedish Public Health Disaster" Narrative In Two Simple Charts
Since the end of July, there have been a lot of completely false and misleading stories about the failures of Sweden’s no lockdown policy and Sweden officials’ choices to not tyrannically shut down businesses in Sweden, to only suggest that the elderly vulnerable population self-quarantine, and to allow for the complete normalization of life under the conditions.
5/08/2020
Business Insider
Woolworths is trialling its own contact tracing tool in Victoria and New South Wales
Woolworths is trialling a contact tracing system across some of its stores. It will involve customers voluntarily using a QR code to check in and register their contact details. The initiative is spread across 11 Woolworths supermarkets in Victoria and one in metro New South Wales.
5/08/2020
Business Insider
Deliveries of household essentials like bread and milk could be slashed by a third under Melbourne's stage four restrictions, logistics companies warn
Deliveries of household essentials like bread and milk to Melbourne supermarkets could be slashed by one-third if new rules that restrict staffing in warehouses go ahead, logistics companies have warned.
5/08/2020
ABC News
From sniffer dogs to sewage testing, scientists are finding new ways to detect COVID-19s
Let's take a look at how Australian researchers are exploring these less traditional tracing systems and how close we are to implementing them.
5/08/2020
ABC News
NSW health authorities confirm 12 new coronavirus cases
Health authorities in NSW have confirmed 12 new coronavirus infections with the source of one infection unknown. One of the cases was a returned traveller in hotel quarantine. Ten of the confirmed cases were locally acquired and linked to known clusters, authorities said.
5/08/2020
7 News
Postmenopausal women with low estrogen levels at higher risk of severe COVID-19, study finds
The study, led by researchers at King’s College London, found that high levels of estrogen may have a protective effect against coronavirus.
5/08/2020
SBS News
Queensland to close its border to all of NSW and ACT from Saturday
Queensland will shut its border to NSW and the ACT this week after people continued to dodge mandatory quarantine.
5/08/2020
News.com.au
Virgin Australia cuts 3000 jobs and axes Tigerair airline
Virgin Australia will shed about one-third of its workforce, kill off Tigerair and suspend long-haul international routes as rebrands as a “value airline”.
5/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria to report 725 new coronavirus cases
The ABC understands Victoria will report about 725 new coronavirus cases today. Many Victorian businesses will be forced to shut down from midnight tonight, with a quarter of a million workers told to stay at home. Those who still have jobs to go to will need to carry a permit on their way to work.
4/08/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus NSW: COVID-19 Sydney updates
NSW has recorded a spate of mystery cases in the past week, with a top doctor warning a rise in this number could spark harsher restrictions for the state.
4/08/2020
ABC News
Two new coronavirus cases confirmed in SA including possible community transmission
SA Health said the two new cases are both women in their 20s, with one of the cases possibly acquired through community transmission. The other is linked to the cluster identified yesterday at two schools in Adelaide — Roma Mitchell College and Thebarton Senior College. It is believed the woman had been to several places while infectious.
4/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria records 439 coronavirus cases as Daniel Andrews announces tougher penalties for breaches
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has announced tough new penalties for people who fail to self-isolate when required, as the state records 439 new coronavirus cases and 11 further deaths, all of which are linked to aged care.
4/08/2020
BBC
Coronavirus: Dozens test positive for Covid-19 on Norwegian cruise ship
At least 41 passengers and crew on a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for Covid-19, officials say. Hundreds more passengers who travelled on the MS Roald Amundsen are in quarantine and awaiting test results, the company that owns the ship said.
4/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: WHO warns of long road ahead, may never be a ‘silver bullet’
The World Health Organisation said for now, stopping Covid-19 outbreaks comes down to basics like face masks, social distancing and testing.
4/08/2020
ABC News
Melbourne lockdown could cause coronavirus recession to last all year, economists warn
NAB warns there is a 50-50 chance the recession Australia is in will extend to the end of September. Others warn it may last all year Victoria is likely to see a further 10-15 per cent blow to its economy from the new, tougher lockdowns. The state accounts for nearly a quarter of Australia's GDP. Grattan Institute CEO Danielle Wood says the closure of childcare and schools will force many people out of the workforce.
4/08/2020
SBS News
Australia set to face food shortages due to Victoria's coronavirus restrictions
Victoria's massive scaling back of food manufacturing in an effort to stop the coronavirus spread is expected to affect Australia's food supply chain.
3/08/2020
9 News
NSW reports 13 new virus cases as premier faces calls to shut Victoria border
NSW has recorded 13 fresh cases of coronavirus overnight, including a new infection from Victoria, which could further destabilise the southern border.
3/08/2020
9 News
Woolworths liquor warehouse workers walk off the job amid coronavirus safety fears
More than 240 Woolworths liquor warehouse workers have walked off the job in Melbourne's south-west amid safety fears after an employee tested positive to COVID-19 last week.
3/08/2020
9 News
Why does coronavirus affect people differently?
We're now more than seven months into the coronavirus pandemic that has upended the lives of most people on the planet.
3/08/2020
ABC News
Adelaide students in self-isolation following school cases as south-east border crosser arrested
About 40 Adelaide students are in self-isolation after a woman with coronavirus attended two Adelaide schools.
3/08/2020
ABC News
Victoria has enacted a state of disaster to enforce coronavirus restrictions. Here's what that means
Six months after Victoria declared a state of disaster to deal with the summer's fires, the dramatic legislation has again come into effect to deal with the "public health bushfire" of coronavirus.
3/08/2020
Zero Hedge
Vaccine Hunt: Is Injecting Human Volunteers With COVID-19 Ethical?
In the race to find a vaccine for COVID-19, an ethical debate is brewing over whether it's justifiable to deliberately infect healthy volunteers with the disease in the hopes of achieving a scientific breakthrough sooner, according to the South China Morning Post.
3/08/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus cases worldwide pass 18 million as hard-hit US enters ‘new phase’
Global coronavirus cases topped 18 million on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University, with the pandemic adding a million reported infections about every four days.
3/08/2020
9 News
Panic buying concerns as Melbourne re-enters lockdown
Residents in Melbourne are being urged not to panic buy after the city went back into stage four restrictions.
3/08/2020
Zero Hedge
One Of The First Ships To Resume Cruising Is Having A COVID Outbreak
On second thought, maybe it was too soon. One of the first cruise ships in the world to resume sailing since the coronavirus-caused worldwide halt to cruising in March is experiencing a significant outbreak of the illness that already has sent several people to the hospital.
3/08/2020
9 News
Alarm after coronavirus outbreaks hit European mink farms
Coronavirus outbreaks at mink farms in Spain and the Netherlands have scientists digging into how the animals got infected and if they can spread it to people.
3/08/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: SA schools shut down amid new cases and concern over community transmission risk
Two South Australian schools have been shut down after someone who attended them tested positive to COVID-19.
31/07/2020
9 News
Border restrictions a re-emerging flashpoint as COVID-19 cases rise
New tensions are building between Australian states as premiers clash over plans to block travellers at risk of spreading coronavirus from growing hotspots.
31/07/2020
Reuters
As pandemic rages on, world economic recovery looks ever more shaky: Reuters poll
BENGALURU (Reuters) - The world economic outlook has dimmed again, with still-rising coronavirus infections and the risk of renewed lockdowns increasing the chances that any rebound will reverse course, according to Reuters polls of over 500 economists globally.
31/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Florida, California Suffer Record COVID-19 Deaths As Texas Cases Top NY: Live Updates
Update (1740ET): In the latest example of a 'credible' mainstream media organization imputing racial factors that aren't really present, the "nonpartisan" investigative news organization Propublica reported Thursday that Hispanic Texans in the Houston area were bearing "the brunt" of the coronavirus outbreak in Houston.
31/07/2020
9 News
Weather forecast Australia: Severe frosts in Victoria, coastal wind warnings in several states
Several states are waking to a chilly morning, with the weekend's forecast likely to bring showers, strong winds and wild weather.
31/07/2020
9 News
With Greater Sydney a declared coronavirus hotspot tomorrow 8000 travellers are expected to flood into Queensland
Police expect 8000 people will fly into Brisbane today from interstate with people keen to get back before those borders close to people from Greater Sydney.
31/07/2020
9 News
Everybody in Victoria with coronavirus passing it on to another person on average
Everybody in Victoria with coronavirus is on average passing it on to another person, Premier Daniel Andrews says.
30/07/2020
7 News
Infectious Queensland teen has not disclosed her movements with contact tracers
Queensland health authorities have revealed one of two women who tested positive for coronavirus after returning from Melbourne has not assisted with contact tracing. Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young urged all Queenslanders to download the COVIDSafe app after one of three cases recorded on Wednesday refused to comply.
30/07/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus: New restrictions announced for Victoria after record case spike
Premier Daniel Andrews said mandatory face coverings would now apply in regional Victoria, as well as metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire.
30/07/2020
SBS News
'Far too many' Victorians are going to work while sick. Far too many have no choice
The casualisation of the Australian workforce creates huge vulnerability for workers and for the public's efforts to suppress COVID-19.
30/07/2020
ABC News
NSW Health records 18 coronavirus cases overnight
Two of those cases are returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.
30/07/2020
7 News
Queensland braces for community transmission coronavirus outbreak
Queensland is bracing itself for an outbreak of community transmission after three people tested positive to COVID-19 including two teens who returned from Victoria but did not quarantine.
30/07/2020
ABC News
Victorian coronavirus cases rise by 723 in new pandemic record
Victoria has confirmed a further 723 new cases of coronavirus and 13 deaths, Australia's highest daily totals since the pandemic started.
29/07/2020
Zero Hedge
US-China Military Conflict Deemed "Highly Likely" To "Almost Certain" Over Next 3 Years
A top independent Australia-based think tank which regularly advises the Canberra government has produced a "risk assessment" studying the likelihood of America and China going to war. Involving defense experts around the world, the study was undertaken on the heels of the US sending two carrier strike groups to sail through the South China Sea in provocative "freedom of navigation" operations.
29/07/2020
SBS News
Scores forced to self-isolate after 'reckless' Queensland women who travelled interstate test positive
Scores of people will have to isolate and a private school is closed after two women returning from Melbourne tested positive to coronavirus in Queensland overnight. The women, who flew back from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21 after travelling together, were active in the community for eight days before isolating.
29/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Opinion: 10 US COVID-19 Charts You Need To See
If you listen to the mainstream media, it’s safe to say you’re probably not getting a balanced picture of the USA’s coronavirus situation.
29/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Opinion: COVID-19 Shows America Is Vulnerable To Biological Terror, And Weaponized Viruses Are Surprisingly Easy To Make
Thanks to dramatic leaps in technology over the last couple of decades, it has become very easy to create and weaponize viruses, and once such a biological weapon is released we may never even know who attacked.
29/07/2020
News.com.au
Why JobSeeker, JobKeeper reductions could cause economic crisis
The worst is coming. There’s a fiscal cliff on the horizon for the economy and it will affect everyday Aussies and big businesses alike.
29/07/2020
7 News
WHO says coronavirus 'likes all weather'
A World Health Organisation official has described the COVID-19 pandemic as “one big wave” and warned against complacency in the northern hemisphere summer since the infection does not share influenza’s tendency to follow seasons.
29/07/2020
SBS News
Army medics sent into Victoria's coronavirus-stricken aged care facilities amid staff shortages
Hospital staff and army medics are being sent into Victoria's aged care facilities as part of efforts to contain growing coronavirus outbreaks.
29/07/2020
ABC News
Queensland's Parklands Christian College closed after employee who travelled interstate tests positive for coronavirus
Parklands Christian College will undergo cleaning after Queensland Health confirmed a woman tested positive late yesterday after last week returning from interstate.
29/07/2020
ABC News
Queensland's Parklands Christian College closed after employee who travelled interstate tests positive for coronavirus
Parklands Christian College will undergo cleaning after Queensland Health confirmed a woman tested positive late yesterday after last week returning from interstate.
28/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Most Brazilian coronavirus strains had origins in Europe, study finds
Researchers from Brazil and Britain find 75 per cent of strains in country can be genetically traced to three groups from Europe.
28/07/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s worst floods in decades
Heavy rains are putting the Yangtze River at risk of repeating the devastating floods of 1998 which left more than 4,000 people dead and 14 million homeless. The latest natural disaster comes in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and an escalating trade war with the US.
28/07/2020
9 News
Bushfires killed or displaced 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs
Almost three billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia's most recent summer bushfires. The figure is almost three times more than an earlier estimate released in January.
28/07/2020
9 News
Bushfires killed or displaced 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs
Almost three billion animals were killed or displaced by Australia's most recent summer bushfires. The figure is almost three times more than an earlier estimate released in January.
28/07/2020
ABC News
Victoria's coronavirus numbers continue to grow with 384 new cases and six deaths
Victoria has recorded 384 new coronavirus cases, and six more patients with COVID-19 have died. Mr Andrews also announced "with some regret" that elective surgeries would be cancelled, except for category one and the most urgent category two procedures.
28/07/2020
7 News
Coronavirus pandemic job losses shift from youth in hospitality to white-collar professionals
More than half the early coronavirus recession job losses were under-30s, but more older workers are now starting to feel the pain. Workers under 35 experienced almost zero growth in real wages following the global financial crisis. KPMG's chief economist warns older workers they may be overlooked for more tech-savvy younger hires in the pandemic recovery.
28/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus pandemic job losses shift from youth in hospitality to white-collar professionals
More than half the early coronavirus recession job losses were under-30s, but more older workers are now starting to feel the pain. Workers under 35 experienced almost zero growth in real wages following the global financial crisis. KPMG's chief economist warns older workers they may be overlooked for more tech-savvy younger hires in the pandemic recovery.
28/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases aren't coming down despite Victoria's lockdowns. Experts seek to explain why
By now the case numbers were hoped to be dramatically lower, says Dr Philip Russo, president of the Australasian College of Infection Prevention and Control. But the fact we only have a loose lid on infection doesn't come down to the Government's response; it's squarely on the public, Dr Russo says. "Clearly people aren't following the guidelines and perhaps there's a sense that they're not going to be bothered too much if they do get the infection," Dr Russo says.
27/07/2020
9 News
Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest, may be in danger of breaching
China's Three Gorges Dam is being tested to its limits as widespread flooding continues along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, with all of its major arteries already swamped.
24/07/2020
ABC News
Intensive care nurse's blunt warning over coronavirus risk to younger adults
A senior Melbourne intensive care nurse says hospitals are preparing for the prospect of deaths among younger Victorians as authorities battle to rein in the state's coronavirus cases.
24/07/2020
ABC News
Queensland ramps up coronavirus restrictions in licensed venues as two new cases recorded
After three weeks of being allowed to stand and consume drinks in licensed venues, Queenslanders will be again forced to sit by the state's Chief Health Officer.
24/07/2020
9 News
Niagara Falls tourist boats show difference in US and Canada's coronavirus approach
The Canada/United States border is expected to remain closed until at least August 21, but there's one region where American and Canadian tourists can still pass almost side by side - Niagara Falls.
24/07/2020
ABC News
Victoria coronavirus cases rise by 300 as six more deaths are recorded, more ADF personnel called in
Victoria has recorded 300 new cases of coronavirus overnight and six more deaths, taking the state's COVID-19 death toll to 55.
24/07/2020
South China Morning Post
US coronavirus cases pass 4 million in rapid acceleration
The total number of coronavirus cases reported in the United States passed 4 million on Thursday, reflecting a rapid acceleration of infections detected in the country since the first case was recorded on January 21, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed.
23/07/2020
7 News
Victoria's coronavirus cases could isolate the state and lead to Stage 4, expert warns
A leading epidemiologist has warned Victoria could be locked out of the rest of the country for two years as the state grapples with its coronavirus resurgence.
23/07/2020
ABC News
WA's coronavirus state of emergency may last all year as phase five restrictions remain in question
WA's Police Commissioner "can't say" when the state of emergency will end. The next easing of restrictions due on August 1 may be delayed again. There are calls for all airport interstate arrivals to be tested for COVID-19.
23/07/2020
ZeroHedge
Herd Immunity Threshold Against COVID-19 May Be Lower Than Believed: Researchers
A team of researchers from the University of Oxford’s Zoology Department, led by Professor Sunetra Gupta, produced a model that suggests as little as 20 percent of the population may need to be resistant to the virus to prevent a resurgence of an epidemic. The study, which was published on July 16, is yet to be peer-reviewed.
23/07/2020
ABC News
Flu deaths drop in Australia as coronavirus restrictions save hundreds of lives
Australia has not recorded any flu deaths since April, with only 36 deaths recorded this year compared to 430 in the same period last year. Experts say school closures, physical distancing, hand hygiene and border closures all played a part in reducing the number of flu cases. There was also an uptick in influenza vaccinations this year, with 2 million more doses being administered.
23/07/2020
ABC News
Warning over WA coronavirus hotel quarantine 'time bomb' as staff say rules repeatedly broken
Staff in WA's quarantine hotels say rule breaches are occurring regularly. Doctors say the reliance on private security contractors is alarming. The WA Premier says he has been advised the system is "working well".
23/07/2020
SBS News
Victoria's second-wave coronavirus lockdown will wipe $3 billion from Australian economy
The Morrison government is expected to reveal an "eye-watering" budget deficit and debt bill after tagging tens of billions of dollars for measures to support the economy through the coronavirus pandemic.
23/07/2020
SBS News
Victoria's second-wave coronavirus lockdown will wipe $3 billion from Australian economy
The Morrison government is expected to reveal an "eye-watering" budget deficit and debt bill after tagging tens of billions of dollars for measures to support the economy through the coronavirus pandemic.
23/07/2020
SBS News
Victoria's second-wave coronavirus lockdown will wipe $3 billion from Australian economy
The Morrison government is expected to reveal an "eye-watering" budget deficit and debt bill after tagging tens of billions of dollars for measures to support the economy through the coronavirus pandemic.
22/07/2020
ABC News
Too soon to know if coronavirus is already spreading in WA, doctors warn
Currently there are no reports of COVID-19 community transmission in WA. But doctors warn it is not known for sure if the virus is in the community. People who travelled to WA before rules were tightened are seen as the biggest risk.
22/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Italy’s earliest coronavirus strains did not arrive from China, study suggests
Strains from Covid-19 patients in the Lombardy region ‘did not contain viral strains isolated in the first months of the outbreak in China’. One possible route to Italy was from Central Europe, where strains with similar mutations were detected, researchers say.
22/07/2020
7 News
Queensland police reveal hundreds missing during quarantine compliance checks
Police have revealed 387 people have been missing from mandatory self-quarantine at home during compliance checks since April.
22/07/2020
Business Insider
The RBA has directed the Australian government to spend its way out of the crisis, but warns there's no 'free lunch' in printing money
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has given the Morrison government the green light to increase debt levels and lock in a budget deficit this Thursday of more than $200 billion to support the economy during its recovery from the virus crisis.
22/07/2020
ABC News
Victorian coronavirus cases hit new record high with 484 cases, two more deaths
Two men in their 90s have died overnight, taking the death toll to 44. Premier Daniel Andrews warned the lockdown could be extended. He said nearly 90 per cent of people are not isolating when they first feel sick.
21/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus elimination or suppression? That's the multi-billion-dollar economic question
Many indicators of New Zealand's domestic economic activity are now back at or above pre-pandemic levels. But NZ is expected to take a much bigger initial economic hit from COVID-19 due to its tougher lockdown and greater reliance on tourism than Australia. Business leaders and Australia's National Cabinet still maintain that an "aggressive suppression strategy" is the best way to deal with coronavirus.
21/07/2020
ABC News
Are COVID-19 superspreaders more infectious than others? Is it their behaviour? Or is it in their biology?
Any of us could be superspreaders if we happen to be the first person in the right place at the right time, where there are conditions the virus likes - such as a crowded indoor environment with no ventilation.
21/07/2020
7 News
Spain's coronavirus rate triples in three weeks
The prevalence of the coronavirus in Spain has risen three-fold over the last three weeks as authorities struggle to contain a rash of fresh clusters, mainly in the Catalonia and Aragon regions, Health Ministry data indicates.
21/07/2020
Business Insider
The government will give JobKeeper a facelift, extending it for six months but splitting it into two tiers
The Morrison government will extend the JobKeeper and JobSeeker emergency payments for another six months, but both will be reduced after a Treasury review found they could act as disincentives to work as the economy recovers.
21/07/2020
SBS News
Oxford coronavirus vaccine is safe and triggers strong immune response, human trials show
The vaccine prompted no serious side effects and elicited antibody and T-cell immune responses, according to trial results published in The Lancet medical journal.
20/07/2020
Business Insider
One of Australia’s only surgical-grade face mask producers says it is worried about Melbourne's compulsory mask rule, as it is already struggling to meet demand
Victoria’s government made face coverings mandatory for people in Melbourne and the Mitchell shire from Thursday amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the rule is set to put a strain on surgical mask supplies.
20/07/2020
9 News
Pregnant Melbourne mum sick with coronavirus fights for life
Distressing video of a pregnant Melbourne mum critically sick with coronavirus and struggling to breathe has been shared by her husband, who has urged Melburnians to wear face masks in public.
20/07/2020
9 News
Victorian schools, including two in Geelong, shut down after coronavirus cases
Three Victorian schools outside the state's lockdown areas have closed due to COVID-19 cases.
20/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus Australia live news: Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Prime Minister Scott Morrison to provide updates
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Prime Minister Scott Morrison are expected to provided coronavirus updates before noon.
20/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Hong Kong third wave: Carrie Lam steps up fight against coronavirus, with masks to be made mandatory in indoor public places and civil servants working from home
Hong Kong has stepped up its fight against the worsening coronavirus crisis, with the government to make the wearing of masks mandatory in indoor public places, while also ordering civil servants to work from home and ramping up quarantine facilities, as the city confirmed more than 100 new cases on Sunday.
20/07/2020
9 News
Everything you need to know about face mask rules in Victoria
Melbourne will become a mandatory mask zone on Wednesday at 11:59pm.
20/07/2020
9 News
Record China flooding impacts PPE supply chain to US as COVID-19 crisis deepens
Residents of Wuhan, China stayed indoors last week not because of another lockdown posed by a reemerging coronavirus threat, but because the worst flooding in decades has threatened their city.
20/07/2020
9 News
Rehabilitation centres set up to treat long-term coronavirus health effects
Professional diver Emiliano Pescarolo contracted coronavirus in March and spent 17 days in hospital in the Italian port city of Genoa before being discharged on April 10.
20/07/2020
9 News
Some young 'recovered' COVID-19 survivors still struggling with symptoms
Daniel Green is still hobbled by the severe coronavirus infection that struck him in March and left him coughing up blood.
20/07/2020
7 News
New coronavirus cases in NSW confirmed as state tries to contain outbreak
New South Wales has recorded 20 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, as the state tries to contain an outbreak.
17/07/2020
9 News
Coronavirus Victoria: New restrictions for exercise, recreational activity and shopping in Melbourne
Victorians in stage three lockdown are not allowed to leave their suburbs for exercise or recreational activities under a significant shift of restrictions.
17/07/2020
ABC News
Uncertainty looms for homeless Victorians in hotel accommodation during coronavirus crisis
Ask Wayne Clark if the hotel rooms he's been staying in for three months are better than the four rooming houses he'd lived in since August last year, and he'll simply say, "it was a godsend".
17/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Sweden’s PM defends coronavirus strategy, as herd immunity remains elusive
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he is in no doubt his country’s highly controversial strategy for fighting Covid-19 remains appropriate.
17/07/2020
WA Today
US records 66,000 new virus infections as Florida has biggest one-day rise in deaths
Florida got a nasty one-two punch of coronavirus news on Thursday: the state reported 156 more deaths and 13,965 more COVID-19 cases.
17/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Why Sweden Succeeded In "Flattening The Curve" And New York Failed
Coronavirus deaths have slowed to a crawl in Sweden. With the exception of a single death on July 13, no deaths in this nation of 10 million have been reported since July 10.
16/07/2020
7News
The coronavirus science that has doctors concerned
“It’s like we’re in a battle with something that we can’t see, that we don’t know, and we don’t know where it’s coming from,” said Vivian Castro, a nurse supervisor at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers, just north of New York City, which struggled with its caseload this spring.
16/07/2020
News.com.au
Teenager in Mongolia dies of bubonic plague after eating marmot
A 15-year-old boy has died of bubonic plague in western Mongolia after eating marmot, as authorities impose quarantine measures.
16/07/2020
Off Guardian
Opinion: NHS Consultant Says Staff Are Being Silenced Over COVID19
16/07/2020
South China Morning Post
X-ray study on elderly coronavirus patients could pave way for accessible and inexpensive treatment: researchers
Study of 10 patients by Atlanta university found radiation therapy resulted in shorter hospital stays, better intubation rates and improved lung condition. Chinese radiation medicine professor says X-ray may be a remedy of last resort in some cases but there is no evidence it is justified for mass treatment.
16/07/2020
SBS News
Siberia heatwave was 'almost impossible' without climate change, scientists say
An extreme heatwave in the Arctic is a problem for the entire planet, say scientists, because the region regulates weather around the globe and contains much of the world's carbon-rich permafrost.
16/07/2020
News.com.au
Coronavirus Australia live updates: Why Sydney cases are spreading so fast
It normally takes up to 14 days for coronavirus to start showing effects on the body, but authorities say Sydney's new cases are unusual.
15/07/2020
The Guardian
Scott Morrison says Australia cannot shut down to contain second wave of Covid-19
Prime minister says trying to eliminate virus not the ‘right strategy’ as he moves to reassure people income support will remain.
15/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: the disease Covid-19 explained
The Covid-19 outbreak caused China to put much of the country into lockdown but the virus has spread rapidly around the world. Many countries are quarantining travellers from overseas. Find out how it all began.
15/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus antibodies may not help with cure, after Dutch study sees harmful effect in ICU patients
Antibodies generated by the immune system to neutralise the novel coronavirus could cause severe harm or even kill the patient, according to a study by Dutch scientists.
15/07/2020
South China Morning Post
57 sailors in Argentina get coronavirus after weeks at sea, despite quarantine
Argentina is trying to solve a medical mystery after 57 sailors were infected with the coronavirus after 35 days at sea, despite the entire crew testing negative before leaving port.
15/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Squirrel Tests Positive For Bubonic Plague In Small Colorado Town
After a new case of the bubonic plague rattled the part of Mongolia near the Russian border, it appears the infamous plague strain responsible for killing between 50 million and 100 million Europeans during the 14th Century has now been discovered in Colorado, where a squirrel recently tested positive, according to local news reports.
15/07/2020
ABC News
Victorian coronavirus cases rise by 238 and a woman dies, police urge people to stop breaching restrictions
Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews has pleaded with restriction rule-breakers to "please do better", after the state recorded 238 new coronavirus cases and another woman's death overnight.
15/07/2020
9 News
NSW records 13 new COVID-19 cases, 10 more linked to Casula pub outbreak
NSW has recorded 13 additional COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, 10 of whom are linked to the outbreak of cases from the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney's south west.
15/07/2020
9 News
How NSW Health found 'patient zero' of Sydney pub outbreak
Rigorous detective work, hours spent on the phone and a complex maze of contacts and locations have allowed NSW Health to discover "patient zero" of Sydney's latest outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula.
14/07/2020
ABC News
SA delays border reopening date for NSW and ACT amid coronavirus risk
South Australian Premier Steven Marshall has announced that restrictions on travel from New South Wales and the ACT will no longer ease next week as planned because of the ongoing coronavirus threat.
14/07/2020
Zero Hedge
More Than Half Of COVID-19 Patients In New Study Have Heart Damage
While the mortality rate from COVID-19 is far lower than initially projected, the disease can leave people with a bevy of health problems of unknown duration; from fatigue, to lingering respiratory issues, to loss of taste and smell.
14/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases in Victoria continue to rise with 270 new cases
Victoria's coronavirus crisis has worsened further after another 270 cases were detected in the past 24 hours, including more in aged care facilities.
14/07/2020
9 News
UK says it will make masks mandatory in shops following weeks of confusion
The British government has decided to require people to wear face coverings in shops, joining a long list of countries that have made masks mandatory under some circumstances in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
14/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Scientists Discover That One Big Assumption That Everyone Has Been Making About COVID-19 May Be Dead Wrong
Over the past several months, there has been a tremendous amount of debate about almost every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic. People have been eager to debate about the severity of the virus, they have been eager to debate about the wisdom of the lockdowns, and they have been eager to debate about the effectiveness of wearing masks. But the one thing that everyone could pretty much agree on is that eventually this pandemic would end.
14/07/2020
Reuters
WHO sounds alarm as coronavirus cases rise by one million in five days
(Reuters) - The number of coronavirus infections around the world hit 13 million on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, climbing by a million in just five days.
14/07/2020
ABC News
Israelis were told to 'have fun' after lockdowns eased. Now they're facing a coronavirus COVID-19 second wave
"Return to normal — get a cup of coffee and a glass of beer." That was what Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told citizens when he eased the country's coronavirus restrictions in late May.
13/07/2020
9 News
US official corrects 'no face mask' advice; Florida records highest single-day COVID-19 case increase; Italy sees new outbreaks
The US Surgeon General has backtracked on previous 'no face mask' advice by other officials, Florida has topped all other states for largest single-day COVID-19 case increases, and Italy is recording a string of new outbreaks.
13/07/2020
9 News
Coronavirus Victoria: Health authorities apologise for text message bungle
Health authorities have apologised for a bungle which saw incorrect text messages sent to Victorians in self-isolation saying they were free to leave COVID-19 quarantine before their 14-day period ended.
13/07/2020
Reuters
Coronavirus bringing record $1 trillion of new global corporate debt in 2020: report
LONDON (Reuters) - Companies around the world will take on as much as $1 trillion of new debt in 2020, as they try to shore up their finances against the coronavirus, a new study of 900 top firms has estimated.
13/07/2020
South China Morning Post
How serious is Hong Kong’s third wave of Covid-19 infections and what can be done to beat it?
Barely two weeks since people began returning to Hong Kong’s gyms and cinemas, and venturing out for dim sum in larger groups as social-distancing regulations were eased after the apparently successful containment of Covid-19, the coronavirus has returned with a vengeance.
13/07/2020
South China Morning Post
WHO remains tight-lipped on experts sent to investigate coronavirus in China
A World Health Organisation advance team is in the Chinese capital this weekend but few other details have been released about a mission that could lay the groundwork for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
13/07/2020
7 News
WA records new and historical cases of COVID-19
Two people in Western Australia have been infected with coronavirus, while another two historical cases have just been reported.
13/07/2020
7 News
Victoria's coronavirus cases rise by 177 after horror weekend
Victoria has recorded more than a week in triple-digit coronavirus cases with another spike after the weekend.
13/07/2020
7 News
Half a dozen NSW venues placed on alert as pub COVID cluster grows
Cases linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney’s southwest have risen again as New South Wales recorded 14 new cases of COVID-19 overnight.
13/07/2020
7 News
5000 deaths a day: Globe reaches sobering COVID milestone
The World Health Organisation has reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases, with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours.
13/07/2020
7 News
US pathologist finds blood clots consistently throughout autopsies on COVID-19 patients
Autopsies on people who died of the coronavirus are helping doctors understand how the disease affects the body.
10/07/2020
9 News
Queensland border reopens with stricter rules in place, 20km northern NSW gridlock anticipated by authorities
Queensland's borders have officially reopened to travellers from all states and territories except Victoria after months of a strict coronavirus lockdown.
10/07/2020
7 News
Clive Palmer challenge to WA's closed borders to be heard in Federal Court next week
Western Australia’s determination to keep its borders closed to all states, not just virus-plagued Victoria, is set to be scrutinised by the nation’s highest court.
10/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Jack Ma encourages more AI cooperation as Elon Musk says Tesla is close to L5 autonomous driving
Alibaba Group Holding founder Jack Ma said the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies across a range of industries, including health care and farming.
10/07/2020
South China Morning Post
WHO issues new coronavirus guidance, but stops short of confirming airborne transmission
The World Health Organisation on Thursday released new guidelines on the transmission of the novel coronavirus that acknowledge some reports of airborne transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19, but stopped short of confirming that the virus spreads through the air.
10/07/2020
South China Morning Post
‘Unknown pneumonia’ deadlier than coronavirus sweeping Kazakhstan, Chinese embassy warns
The Chinese embassy in Kazakhstan has warned of a deadly “unknown pneumonia” after the former Soviet republic reported a spike in pneumonia cases since June.
10/07/2020
Reuters
Oil dips, heading for weekly loss as virus cases rise
TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Friday after steep falls in the previous session and were set for a weekly decline on worries renewed lockdowns following a surge in coronavirus cases in the United States and elsewhere will suppress fuel demand.
10/07/2020
7 News
Victorian public housing tower forced to stay in lockdown as cases spike
Residents in a public housing tower in Melbourne will be stuck inside for another nine days amid fears a quarter of them could have coronavirus.
10/07/2020
7 News
US Marine tests positive to coronavirus upon arrival to Northern Territory
A United States Marine has tested positive for coronavirus upon arrival in Australia for a military exercise.
9/07/2020
World Economic Forum
Locusts are putting 5 million people at risk of starvation – and that’s without COVID-19
A second crisis is ravaging an area of Africa that’s already grappling with the impact of COVID-19: locusts.
9/07/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Tokyo reports 224 new infections, a daily record for Japanese capital
Tokyo has recorded 224 new cases of coronavirus infection on Thursday, public broadcaster NHK said, marking a new daily record in Japan’s capital since the crisis began.
9/07/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: Hundreds flee Victoria for South Australia before midnight border lockdown
A man faces being fined after it's believed he allegedly tried to cross the border from Victoria into South Australia last night without permission.
9/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus: Hundreds flee Victoria for South Australia before midnight border lockdown
A man faces being fined after it's believed he allegedly tried to cross the border from Victoria into South Australia last night without permission.
9/07/2020
ABC News
Redgum firewood in short supply due to cold snap and coronavirus stockpiling
Woodyards are reporting a shortage of redgum as more people are working from home and cold weather puts pressure on the supply chain of the favoured firewood.
9/07/2020
ABC News
ACT records another coronavirus infection a day after three Canberrans became first cases in a month
Another Canberra resident has tested positive for coronavirus, a day after three people became the ACT's first known cases of COVID-19 in a month.
9/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cluster at Melbourne's Al-Taqwa College grows to 113, but how it started remains a mystery
Faikha Schroeder was enjoying the first day of school holidays when she received a text message — one of her teaching colleagues at Al-Taqwa College, in Melbourne's outer west, had tested positive for COVID-19.
9/07/2020
9 News
Icy roads, frost and severe weather on the way next week
States could begin to see early signs of more severe weather on the way with snow and thunderstorms possible for parts of southeastern Australia today.
8/07/2020
ABC News
NSW-Victoria coronavirus breach after Melbourne Jetstar flight lands in Sydney where passengers aren't screened for COVID-19
Passengers on a flight from Melbourne to Sydney last night disembarked without being screened by NSW Health officials, in a major breach of the state's coronavirus protocols.
8/07/2020
ABC News
Long-term effects of coronavirus mean returning home from ICU is not the end of it
"We're just now getting to large numbers of people recovering and getting back to life and we're starting to see these long haul survivors, as they self-describe, who are still suffering for months with symptoms ongoing," Canadian neurologist Dr Rick Swartz said.
8/07/2020
Zero Hedge
Opinion: "Crunch Time" Arrives And... Was Everyone Wrong About The Coronavirus?
One week ago, when looking at the growing divergence between the number of new coronavirus cases in the US and shrinking number of fatalities, we referred to Nordea's strategist Andreas Steno Larsen, who observed that "we are entering “crunch time” on fatalities since they should start to rise in early July given the lead/lag structure versus new cases." Well, one week later, we decided to follow up on the current status and... there is still no spike in fatalities at either the federal level...
8/07/2020
Reuters
WHO acknowledges 'evidence emerging' of airborne spread of COVID-19
The World Health Organization on Tuesday acknowledged “evidence emerging” of the airborne spread of the novel coronavirus, after a group of scientists urged the global body to update its guidance on how the respiratory disease passes between people.
8/07/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus spread in high-density towers comes from proximity, shared spaces and even ventilation, researchers say
Melbourne's high-density housing towers went into a strict lockdown over the weekend. Scientists say there are numerous reasons these living arrangements spread COVID-19 faster. Air flow, proximity, ventilation and plumbing have all been considered as contributing factors.
7/07/2020
SBS News
Metropolitan Melbourne put into six-week lockdown after surge of 191 new coronavirus infections
Residents in metropolitan Melbourne will go back into lockdown from midnight Wednesday as COVID-19 cases continue to surge.
7/07/2020
7 News
Coronavirus may have been laying dormant around the world, rather than originating in China, expert claims
Coronavirus may have already been around, laying dormant across the globe before thriving in favourable environmental conditions, one expert claims.
7/07/2020
SBS News
New report finds clear trend of viruses jumping from animals to humans
Experts say there is a clear upward trend in the number of viruses moving from animals to humans, and further outbreaks are likely if no action is taken.
7/07/2020
SBS News
'Mammoth task': Australian Defence Force to help NSW patrol Victoria border
The Australian Defence Force will assist in what Gladys Berejiklian describes as a "mammoth task" to patrol the NSW-Victoria border when it closes tonight in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19.
7/07/2020
News.com.au
10th Melbourne public housing tower in Richmond at risk of lockdown
A 10th Melbourne public housing tower is at risk of being locked down after an infected worker reportedly visited a building in Richmond.
7/07/2020
7 News
Alan Jones lashes Australia’s virus response on debut Sky News TV show
Alan Jones has returned to broadcasting with a scathing assessment of Australia’s coronavirus response on his debut TV show weeks after he retired from radio. But while some welcomed his return, other viewers accused him of not doing his research. The 79-year-old said he has always been in the “cohort that was in danger” of COVID-19.
6/07/2020
SBS News
'It's horrific': Residents of Melbourne's locked-down towers are struggling to receive essential supplies
Residents in Melbourne's nine locked-down public housing towers have told SBS News they are struggling to receive essential supplies as they adapt to an initial five-day lockdown without warning.
6/07/2020
7 NewsConcerns raised as Qantas and Jetstar staff hired to help at Victoria's quarantine hotels
Airline staff have been recruited to help coordinate activities with returned travellers being housed in quarantine hotels in Victoria.
6/07/2020
9 NewsCoronavirus: WA doctors to test Perth children in bid to uncover why they might not contract COVID-19
Western Australian doctors are leading the way in coronavirus research as they shift the focus onto children.
6/07/2020
7 NewsCoronavirus update: Victoria cases surge, Australia records 94 new COVID cases
Australia reported 94 new coronavirus cases on Sunday and 74 of those were in Victoria.
6/07/2020
7 NewsNew coronavirus cases confirmed in NSW as state prepares to close border with Victoria
New cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in NSW as the state prepares to close its border with Victoria.
6/07/2020
9 NewsVictoria hit with record number of coronavirus cases, one death
Victoria has recorded its largest amount of coronavirus infections since the pandemic began, with 127 cases detected overnight and one fatality.
6/07/2020
ABC NewsCOVID-19 hotspot fears as Byron Bay bush doof leaves authorities 'dumbfounded'
Authorities say they are "dumbfounded" and "disappointed" in the organisers and attendees of a dance party that saw more than 1,000 people gather on a private property at Wilson's Creek, near Byron Bay, in a gross violation of statewide coronavirus rules.
6/07/2020
ABC NewsAustralian share traders cautious as surging COVID-19 cases hit confidence
The Australian share market has risen back into positive territory despite surging COVID-19 infections in Victoria, and across the world, hitting investor sentiment.
2/07/2020
ABC NewsCoronavirus affects the blood vessels as well as the lungs. Understanding this may be key to treating it
In the global fight against this coronavirus, researchers are looking at how existing medications used to reduce risk of heart disease, including statins and blood thinners, can help to treat COVID-19.
2/07/2020
Live ScienceNew flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in pigs. Here's what that means.
Scientists in China are warning that they have identified a new flu virus in pigs that could possibly cause a future flu pandemic. The virus, called G4 EA H1N1, is a genetic mix of the H1N1 "swine flu," which caused a flu pandemic in 2009, and other flu viruses.
2/07/2020
South China Morning PostCoronavirus may be able to directly infect heart cells, study suggests
Researchers in California have established a possible explanation for why some patients develop cardiac complications. Virus able to enter lab-grown heart cells, change their gene expressions and multiply.
2/07/2020
SBS News
Police on patrol in Victoria as lockdown begins for 300,000 in coronavirus hotspots
More than 300,000 Victorians have entered lockdown for a second time as other states have warned they are not welcome to visit.
1/07/2020
SBS News
Victoria records 73 new coronavirus cases as 36 Melbourne suburbs set for lockdown
The leaders of several Melbourne suburbs facing lockdowns tonight have expressed their frustration at residents who have refused tests as Victoria records 73 new coronavirus infections.
1/07/2020
ABC News
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews warns entire state could go back into lockdown if coronavirus cases continue to rise
Mr Andrews said if Victoria could not quickly get the outbreak under control, more postcodes would be locked down. He warned there would be enforcement in locked down local areas.
1/07/2020
BBC News
Why soil is disappearing from farms
The dirt beneath our feet is getting poorer and on many farms worldwide, there is less and less of it. Without sufficient soil, our ability to grow food is threatened.
1/07/2020
ABC News
Australia to spend $270b building larger military to prepare for 'poorer, more dangerous' world and rise of China
Mr Morrison will commit $270 billion to defence spending over the next 10 years. The ADF is expected to grow by 800 people over that time. He will argue the Indo-Pacific is the "epicentre" of rising strategic competition.
01/07/2020
SBS News
Victoria coronavirus outbreak: International flights into Melbourne diverted as hotel quarantine inquiry begins
International flights into Victoria have been diverted for two weeks after a "very significant" number of new COVID-19 cases were linked to quarantine hotels.
30/06/2020
BBC News
Koalas face extinction in New South Wales by 2050, report finds
Koalas will be extinct in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) by 2050 unless there is urgent action, an inquiry has found. The once-thriving marsupial has been ravaged by habitat loss, disease and climatic events in recent years.
30/06/2020
Consent Factory
Opinion: The New (Pathologized) Totalitarianism
It was always going to come to this … mobs of hysterical, hate-drunk brownshirts hunting down people not wearing masks and trying to get them fired from their jobs, “no mask, no service” signs outside stores, security staff stopping the mask-less from entering, paranoid pod people pointing and shrieking at the sight of mask-less shoppers in their midst, goon squads viciously attacking and arresting them …
30/06/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s military becomes world’s first to use experimental coronavirus vaccine
Candidate developed by the PLA and CanSino Biologics added to armed forces’ list for one year. Proposed vaccine still to go through phase three clinical trials and cannot be used on civilians.
30/06/2020
SBS News
South Australia scraps plan to lift border restrictions on 20 July amid Victoria coronavirus spike
South Australia has scrapped a plan to lift all its remaining border restrictions next month amid the spike in coronavirus cases in Victoria. Premier Steven Marshall says the 20 July date to lift quarantine measures for Victoria, NSW and the ACT has been abandoned on the latest health advice.
30/06/2020
SBS News
Hundreds of federal workers are heading to Victoria to help fight 'public health bushfire'
Eight hundred federal workers will head to Victoria to help in its fight against coronavirus after the state recorded its highest case numbers in months.
30/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus outbreak in Victoria could be slowed by 'ring-fencing' Melbourne's COVID-19 hotspots, says expert
Victorian authorities are considering a range of localised lockdown measures. WHO advisor Mary-Louise McLaws said China had proved such measures could be effective. Some mayors are pushing for better education in multicultural communities instead.
29/06/2020
The Socialist
Eco-destruction and plagues
Raging fires in Australia and a plague of locusts in east Africa dominated global news at the start of 2020. These rapidly receded in consciousness as the COVID-19 pandemic erupted onto the world, already made dangerously vulnerable by capitalism. The climate devastation was mounting around the world. The world’s economy was tottering on the edge of a major recession. Now these factors are piled one upon the other.
29/06/2020
ABC News
Victorian coronavirus cases rise by 75 as second infection peak continues to grow
TVictoria is experiencing a "concerning" upward trend in coronavirus infections, with 75 new cases identified overnight.
29/06/2020
Al Jazeera News
'We're facing a double pandemic': UN body warns of 'mega-famines'
The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the world faces "mega-famines" if enough funds are not pledged to combat the ripple effects of coronavirus pandemic on the world's most fragile countries, which are already grappling with food insecurity.
29/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Global coronavirus death toll hits 500,000 as number of cases surges over 10 million
Global coronavirus death toll surpassed 500,000 on Sunday, with the total number of cases standing at more than 10 million, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, marking a major milestone in the spread of the respiratory disease in the last seven months.
29/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus Australia live news: Victorian Chief Health Officer says masks 'need to be considered' for the public
Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton warns the state is "right at the edge' of being able to control the current coronavirus outbreak in Melbourne.
29/06/2020
Reuters
The pace of death
Coronavirus-related fatalities continue to pile up as the world passes half a million deaths. More than 4,700 people are dying each day, based on an average from June 1 to 27.
26/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Hong Kong among places urged by world aviation body to test incoming travellers prior to flight to avoid surge in imported cases
The global trade body for airlines has urged Hong Kong and other places with strict quarantine rules to ensure that travellers flying in from high-risk countries are tested for Covid-19 first before boarding flights to avoid the influx of imported cases that the city is currently facing.
26/06/2020
9 News
Sydney high school closed over COVID-19
Six new cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed in NSW, including a 12-year-old student from Camden High School, which prompted the school's closure for cleaning.
26/06/2020
Reuters
Australian leaders meet to discuss coronavirus plans amid new outbreak
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian federal and state leaders met on Friday to discuss the country’s next steps in response to the coronavirus pandemic, a day after the country reported its biggest one-day rise in new infections in more than two months.
26/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Beijing’s coronavirus outbreak
Just when China’s capital was thought to be coronavirus-free, a second wave of infections has been traced to a wholesale market in Beijing. Here’s what happened:
26/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Explainer | Which Asian labs are working on antibody treatments in the fight against Covid-19?
The deadly coronavirus pandemic has sent scientists around the world racing to identify potential treatments, as Covid-19 cases continue to soar.
26/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: face masks save lives, Japanese study says
Wearing a face mask could reduce the risk of dying from Covid-19, according to a study by researchers in Japan.
26/06/2020
9 News
Thirty fresh virus cases in Victoria
Victoria has recorded 30 COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total confirmed cases to 1947 after clocking 33 new cases a day earlier.
26/06/2020
End of the American Dream
Really Bizarre Things Are Happening All Over The Globe
Just when you think that 2020 has been filled with enough trouble, even more stuff starts happening. Coming into this week, we were already dealing with a new COVID-19 surge which has pushed the number of daily cases to the highest levels we have seen so far, a global economy which is in the process of imploding all around us, massive civil unrest in U.S. cities from coast to coast, and giant swarms of locusts that are wiping out farms all the way from eastern Africa to parts of India. Unfortunately, now we have several more items to add to our growing list.
25/06/2020
NY Times
After the Pandemic, a Global Hunger Crisis
The loss of income caused by the pandemic could increase the number of people suffering acute hunger to more than quarter a billion by December.
25/06/2020
9 News
Test blitz unveiled as 33 new cases in Vic
Victoria has recorded another 33 COVID-19 cases, prompting a suburban testing blitz in 10 localities to regain control of the spread of the deadly virus.
25/06/2020
Strategic Culture Foundation
NATO 2030: How to Make a Bad Idea Worse
Just when you thought the leaders of NATO could not push the limits of insanity any further, something like NATO 2030 is announced.
25/06/2020
Asia Times
Covid-19 will accelerate march of the robots
They have been compared to quantum leaps in humanity’s historic journey. But they are more like Grand Canyon-style jumps in our evolution.
25/06/2020
ABC News
Do I need to get my family tested every time one of us has a runny nose this winter?
Ian Mackay, who specialises in virology, says it's not out of the question that the current outbreaks in Melbourne could be traced back to children who were never tested.
25/06/2020
ABC News
ADF to send 1,000 personnel to assist Victoria in coronavirus response
The bulk of the ADF personnel will help with hotel quarantine. Others will assist with logistics and testing. The assistance was requested by Victoria following a spike in the number of new cases.
25/06/2020
SBS News
IMF forecasts economic turmoil as global infections near 10 million
The International Monetary Fund saying the coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented decline in global activity and warns governments not to cut off support too soon.
24/06/2020
ABC News
The chance of a La Nina forming has doubled, Bureau of Meteorology says
There is now twice the chance of a La Nina developing in 2020. Drought-breaking rain is considerably more likely in a La Nina year.
24/06/2020
SBS News
Greg Hunt warns Melbourne COVID-19 spike has potential to cause second wave
Health Minister Greg Hunt has warned a spike in COVID-19 cases in Melbourne has the potential to cause Australia's second wave of infections. "We're very concerned about the Victorian cases, whilst it's being well-managed, it can go one of two ways – we can get it under control or the numbers can continue to spike which would be a real issue."
24/06/2020
ABC News
Victoria records coronavirus death as cases rise by 20 and the state's reproduction number climbs to 2.5
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos told ABC Radio Melbourne the reproduction number, or R0 number, in Victoria had risen from below one to 2.5 in the past week.
23/06/2020
BBC News
Arctic Circle sees 'highest-ever' recorded temperatures
Temperatures in the Arctic Circle are likely to have hit an all-time record on Saturday, reaching a scorching 38C (100F) in Verkhoyansk, a Siberian town. The record still needs to be verified, but it appears to have been 18C higher than the average maximum daily temperature in June.
23/06/2020
Reuters
Coronavirus cases soar in big countries, especially Brazil, WHO says
Coronavirus cases are soaring in several major countries at the same time, with “worrying increases” in Latin America, especially Brazil, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.
23/06/2020
ABC News
Stay-at-home orders for Victoria's coronavirus hotspots under 'active consideration'
Jenny Mikakos said reimposing stay-at-home directions in hotspots was under "active consideration". The surge in infections in Victoria has prompted Queensland to add more locations to its list of declared COVID-19 hotspots.
22/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Beijing doubles testing capacity as Pepsi plant closes due to confirmed cases
Beijing has more than doubled it coronavirus testing capabilities to 1 million people a day, as the authorities pull out all the stops to contain the outbreak.
22/06/2020
ABC News
Residents of Victoria's coronavirus hotspots should stay home, Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says
People living in six Melbourne local government areas identified as coronavirus hotspots should not be travelling interstate or regionally, in order to avoid spreading the virus, the nation's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says.
22/06/2020
ABC News
Australian share market falls on fears of coronavirus second wave
The Australian share market has fallen in early trade as concerns about a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit travel and consumer stocks, but mining stocks rallied.
22/06/2020
ABC News
World Health Organization reports record daily increase in coronavirus cases
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported the largest single-day increase in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 183,000 new cases detected in the past 24 hours.
19/06/2020
ABC News
Firefighters and farmers fear 'horrific' bushfire season for Scenic Rim with increased risk of grass fires
Volunteer firefighters in Queensland's Scenic Rim region, west of the Gold Coast, say they are concerned this year's bushfire season will be "just as bad" as last year's, as the region's farmers struggle to recover from the drought.
19/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Beijing market outbreak investigation zeroes in on seafood stalls
Authorities are looking closely at seafood stalls in a market at the centre of a new coronavirus cluster in Beijing, with a top health expert saying there were similarities to the situation in Wuhan at the start of the outbreak last year.
19/06/2020
9 News
Coronavirus cases grow in Victoria and NSW, as Melbourne's Stamford Plaza Hotel cluster surges
The coronavirus outbreak at Melbourne's Stamford Plaza Hotel continues to surge, with another four people testing positive overnight.
18/06/2020
SBS News
New coronavirus cluster in Beijing prompts concern for the rest of the world as infections spike in India, US
China has raised its emergency warning to its second-highest level and cancelled more than 60 per cent of the flights to Beijing amid a new coronavirus outbreak in the capital.
18/06/2020
South China Morning Post
There may be no immunity against Covid-19, new Wuhan study suggests
Researchers behind the non-peer-reviewed paper ran antibody tests on samples from hospital workers who were exposed to infected patients at early stage of outbreak. Only 4 per cent of 23,000 had antibodies – but they estimated at least 25 per cent could have contracted the disease.
18/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases in Victoria rise by 18, including third Black Lives Matter protester
Six of the new cases are returned travellers in hotel quarantine. One is linked to a known outbreak, and eight have been detected through community testing. Three cases are still under investigation.
17/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Beijing municipal government orders partial lockdown for city and elevates emergency response amid latest outbreak
Next three days ‘crucial’ to contain infections linked to city food market, a top Chinese epidemiologist says. 32 new cases in the country linked to Xinfadi market as Sichuan province traces contacts of woman who travelled from Beijing.
17/06/2020
Daily Mail
Victoria sees biggest coronavirus spike in more than a month
Victoria has recorded 21 new cases of COVID-19. A Gladstone Park childcare centre has closed after a worker was diagnosed. It is the fourth Victorian school to close this week after students tested positive.
17/06/2020
Reuters
Show me the data: U.S. doctors skeptical of reported COVID breakthrough
The report on Tuesday of a powerful treatment for the new coronavirus brought skepticism along with optimism among U.S. doctors, who said the recent withdrawal of an influential COVID-19 study left them wanting to see more data.
16/06/2020
Reuters
Global coronavirus cases reach over 8 million as outbreak expands in Latin America
Global cases of the novel coronavirus reached over 8 million on Monday, as infections surge in Latin America and the United States and China grapple with fresh outbreaks.
16/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Beijing battles ‘explosive coronavirus outbreak’ as food market cases mount
Scientists struggle to track source of cluster linked to massive food wholesale centre. Mass testing and strict lockdowns imposed in some parts of the capital while other cities order isolation for travellers from Beijing.
15/06/2020
The Guardian
‘Rolling emergency’ of locust swarms decimating Africa, Asia and Middle East
Unseasonal rains have allowed desert pests to breed rapidly and spread across vast distances leaving devastation in their wake.
15/06/2020
BBC News
Coronavirus: World risks 'biblical' famines due to pandemic - UN
David Beasley, head of the World Food Programme (WFP), said urgent action was needed to avoid a catastrophe.A report estimates that the number suffering from hunger could go from 135 million to more than 250 million.
15/06/2020
Reuters
Beijing steps up coronavirus measures as dozens of cases emerge from a food market
BEIJING (Reuters) - After weeks with almost no new coronavirus infections, Beijing has recorded dozens of new cases in recent days, all linked to a major wholesale food market, raising concerns about a resurgence of the disease.
15/06/2020
South China Morning Post
‘Disinfecting non-stop’ as Italy faces two new coronavirus outbreaks
Yellow police tape – a familiar sight across Italy since the coronavirus began sweeping the country in March – reappeared over the weekend outside a Rome squat where around 15 new cases have emerged.
15/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: Europe reopens many borders but not to Americans nor Asians
Europe is taking a big step toward a new normality as many countries open borders to fellow Europeans after three months of coronavirus lockdowns – but even though Europeans love their summer holidays, it is not clear how many are ready to travel again.
12/06/2020
9 News
Thousands to attend Perth Black Lives Matter protest despite WA government's urges to postpone
More than 8000 people are planning to go ahead with a Black Lives Matter protest in Perth over the weekend, despite urgent warnings from the premier for it to be postponed.
12/06/2020
9 News
Thousands to attend Perth Black Lives Matter protest despite WA government's urges to postpone
More than 8000 people are planning to go ahead with a Black Lives Matter protest in Perth over the weekend, despite urgent warnings from the premier for it to be postponed.
12/06/2020
9 News
Can this super-simple device stop virus spreading on airplanes?
It's not flashy or futuristic, but it's simple, cheap and apparently effective: British aircraft interior company RAS Completions says its new personal protection shield could help protect fliers from COVID-19.
12/06/2020
Reuters
Fears of second U.S. coronavirus wave rise on worrisome spike in cases, hospitalizations
(Reuters) - About half a dozen states including Texas and Arizona are grappling with a rising number of coronavirus patients filling hospital beds, fanning concerns that the reopening of the U.S. economy may spark a second wave of infections.
12/06/2020
Reuters
Oil prices extend slump as U.S. coronavirus cases climb
TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices slid early on Friday, extending heavy overnight losses on a surge in U.S. coronavirus cases this week that has raised the prospect of a second wave of the outbreak slamming demand in the world’s biggest consumer of crude and fuel.
12/06/2020
SBS News
Sydney school closed after 'probable' coronavirus case
A school in Sydney's eastern suburbs has temporarily closed as NSW Health investigates a probable coronavirus case as police warn they will fine protesters.
12/06/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: NSW looking to further ease restrictions
New South Wales is looking to further ease its coronavirus restrictions despite health authorities remaining on high alert for new outbreaks.
11/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Major changes in disease control at coronavirus ground zero in China
Authorities in the central Chinese province of Hubei will overhaul the provincial disease control agency to address failures exposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
11/06/2020
9 News
Travel between Queensland and New Zealand on the cards as early as next month
High level talks are underway between the Queensland Government and New Zealand to open up a travel bubble from as early as next month.
11/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Cat drug shows promise against coronavirus in lab tests, Chinese researchers say
A drug used to treat an infectious disease in cats effectively stopped the replication of the pandemic coronavirus in laboratory tests, according to Chinese researchers.
11/06/2020
Reuters
Australian officials warn Black Lives Matter protesters of potential arrest
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian officials warned supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement on Thursday they could be fined or arrested if they breach coronavirus restrictions to take part in public protests.
11/06/2020
SBS News
EU set to allow tourists in as virus grinds down global economy
Europe has accounted for just less than half of the world's coronavirus death, plunging the continent into an economic crisis.
11/06/2020
9 News
Black Lives Matter: Man who attended Melbourne protest diagnosed with coronavirus
A demonstrator who attended the Black Lives Matter protest in Melbourne last Saturday has tested positive for coronavirus as fears over a potential outbreak from the mass gathering continue to grow.
10/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Genetic testing firm 23andMe shows certain blood types are less likely to contract coronavirus
The company in April launched a study using the millions of profiles in its DNA database to shed light on the role genetics play in the disease. Preliminary results from more than 750,000 participants suggests type O blood is especially protective against the coronavirus.
10/06/2020
Reuters
Coronavirus patients most infectious when they first feel unwell: WHO
Studies show people with the coronavirus are most infectious just at the point when they first begin to feel unwell, World Health Organization (WHO) experts said on Tuesday.
10/06/2020
ABC News
David was a fit and healthy 17-year-old when struck down by a mystery coronavirus-linked disease
Many young people are developing MIS-C, a disease linked to COVID-19. David Vargas was 17 years old when he was admitted to hospital in New York. After testing positive to COVID-19, he was diagnosed with MIS-C.
10/06/2020
Fox News
UN warns 'food systems are failing' amid coronavirus pandemic
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Tuesday that nearly 50 million more people are expected to enter “extreme poverty” due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has also impacted global food distribution.
09/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus vaccine could be ready for emergency use within months, says Chinese expert Zhong Nanshan
Respiratory diseases specialist says developing herd immunity will cost millions of lives, so only the only way to defeat Covid-19 is to inoculate people. Zhong says vaccines for use in emergencies could be ready by autumn but large-scale use could be up to two years away.
09/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Half of Singapore’s coronavirus cases show no symptoms, joint head of task force says
‘Based on our experience, for every symptomatic case you would have at least one asymptomatic case,’ Lawrence Wong said. Wong was explaining the city state’s cautious approach to reopening following a two-month lockdown to curb infections.
08/06/2020
Reuters
Global coronavirus deaths top 400,000 as outbreak grows in Brazil, India: Reuters tally
(Reuters) - Global deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 400,000 on Sunday, as case numbers surge in Brazil and India, according to a Reuters tally.
08/06/2020
South China Morning Post
China’s exports drop in May as coronavirus pandemic hits overseas demand
China’s exports declined in May, as demand dried up in major overseas markets hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with experts predicting that shipments would continue to decline in coming months until the virus is brought under control and the global economy gets back on its feet.
08/06/2020
ABC News
Socceroos keeper Mitch Langerak tests positive for coronavirus ahead of J-League restart
Socceroos goalkeeper Mitch Langerak is facing a stint on the sidelines after testing positive for coronavirus at J-League club Nagoya Grampus.
05/06/2020
ABC News
COVID-19 testing in WA schools unlikely to find asymptomatic cases, researcher says
The lead researcher for a COVID-19 study that will see school students and teachers across Western Australia tested is not expecting to find many asymptomatic cases hiding in classrooms.
05/06/2020
9 News
'Don't go': Prime Minister Scott Morrison tells people not to attend Black Lives Matter protests over coronavirus fears
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has told people not to participate in Black Lives Matter protests across the country this weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic.
05/06/2020
9 News
Prep student among latest Vic virus cases
A Victorian prep student has tested positive to coronavirus, forcing the school to close, as community transmission continues in Melbourne's inner west and north.
05/06/2020
9 News
UN urges for a free coronavirus vaccine, calling it a 'moral imperative'
More than 6.5 million people worldwide have been confirmed infected with coronavirus and more than 386,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University.
05/06/2020
Reuters
Novavax gets U.S. defense funding for its COVID-19 vaccine
(Reuters) - Novavax Inc said on Thursday the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) will give the late-stage biotech company up to $60 million to fund the manufacturing of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine.
04/06/2020
ABC News
Asymptomatic coronavirus cases account for 15pc of COVID-19 infections: study
The latest research suggests about 15 per cent of people with COVID-19 will never develop symptoms. The Australian research team also found people without symptoms are less likely to spread the illness. Another study found staying more than a metre from an infected individual reduces the transmission risk to 3 per cent.
04/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus recession leaves 1.4m Australians in mortgage stress, almost 100,000 could default after JobKeeper ends
Young families and first-time buyers are among those most exposed to defaulting on their home loans. There are fears the situation will worsen when the JobKeeper subsidy and mortgage repayment holidays are removed. Analysts predict a spike in unemployment could trigger debt servicing problems and forced sales.
04/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus Kimberley travel restrictions set to be eased as grey nomads prepare to head north
Moves are underway to reopen the Kimberley and let visitors back in. Hard-hit tourism operators say the influx of travellers will bring relief. But WA's ongoing interstate border closure is continuing to cause anguish.
03/06/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus may damage testicles without entering cells, study finds
Analysis of patient samples from Wuhan shows virus caused ‘ballooning changes’ and damage to cells that produce sperm. Researchers believe this could have been the result of the virus binding to an enzyme on the cell surface.
03/06/2020
SBS News
Wuhan records only 300 positive coronavirus cases from extensive testing of nearly 10 million
Chinese authorities claim to have largely brought the virus under control but Wuhan officials - wary of a second wave - launched the programme after new infections emerged for the first time since the city re-opened in April following more than two months in lockdown.
03/06/2020
Business Insider Australia
Australia is in its first recession in 29 years, as the feeble state of the economy becomes undeniable
Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed the country is in a recession on Wednesday. The acknowledgement comes after the first quarter GDP figures show the economy shrunk 0.3% largely before businesses were even shut by the government. With another contraction in the realm of 8.5% forecast for the June quarter, Australia has entered its first recession since 1991.
03/06/2020
SBS News
Australia is now in a recession for the first time in 29 years
The March quarter national accounts show Australia's economy shrank 0.3 per cent at the start of the year, but was cushioned by exports and government spending.
02/06/2020
Reuters
Japan allows saliva-based tests to boost coronavirus detection
Japan’s government said on Tuesday it has approved saliva-based tests for the new coronavirus, offering a safer, simpler way to diagnose infection as well as boosting the number of tests being carried out using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.
02/06/2020
SBS News
Congo hit by second Ebola outbreak as it battles measles and coronavirus
Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have announced a new Ebola outbreak in the western city of Mbandaka, 1,000 km from an ongoing outbreak that has killed over 2,200 people.
02/06/2020
Reuters
Distancing and masks cut COVID-19 risk, says largest review of evidence
Keeping at least one metre apart and wearing face masks and eye protection are the best ways to cut the risk of COVID-19 infection, according to the largest review to date of studies on coronavirus disease transmission.
02/06/2020
South China Morning Post
The global downturn is bottoming out and optimists are right on the money
Germany and China are the workshops of the world, and the best places to see early shoots of recovery. The latest German business sentiment data and Chinese factory numbers suggest that better times might be around the corner.
02/06/2020
South China Morning Post
In Australia, stalled migration is bad news as faltering economy heads for first recession in 30 years
Net immigration is expected to fall 85 per cent in the financial year to June 2021, curbing demand for everything from cars and property to education and wedding rings. Immigration is a politically divisive topic in Australia but there is a broad consensus the country needs its 200,000 to 300,000 annual intake to grow consumption demand and fill skills shortages.
02/06/2020
SBS News
No evidence of coronavirus losing potency, WHO and other experts say
Health experts have questioned reports from a senior Italian doctor that the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic has been losing potency.
02/06/2020
SBS News
No evidence of coronavirus losing potency, WHO and other experts say
Health experts have questioned reports from a senior Italian doctor that the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic has been losing potency.
02/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus false positive result for Blackwater man Nathan Turner prompts apology from Queensland Premier
Both the Premier and Health Minister have apologised to Nathan Turner's family. It's the second time a false positive has been recorded in the central Queensland town.
02/06/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus false positive result for Blackwater man Nathan Turner prompts apology from Queensland Premier
Both the Premier and Health Minister have apologised to Nathan Turner's family. It's the second time a false positive has been recorded in the central Queensland town.
02/06/2020
ABC News
Victoria's coronavirus cases rise by 10 as aged care home and kindergarten go into lockdown
A carer at Reservoir's Embracia aged care and a kindergarten teacher at Macleod Preschool both tested positive to coronavirus.
31/05/2020
9 News
The coronavirus restrictions easing from tomorrow
More coronavirus restrictions will ease across Australia from tomorrow with businesses reopening in three states.
31/05/2020
ABC News
Children are back at school — but what about coughs and colds amid coronavirus?
Runny noses are common in young children, and usually nothing to worry about.
31/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus state of emergency extended in Victoria as cases two clusters continue to rise
More than 509,000 Victorians have been tested for coronavirus as the Health Minister announces the state of emergency has been extended by three weeks until June 21.
31/05/2020
South China Morning Post
China building secure facilities to fast track coronavirus vaccine production
China is laying the groundwork to begin manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines as soon as they are given the green light.
31/05/2020
Reuters
Global coronavirus cases surpass 6 million
(Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases surpassed 6 million on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally, as Latin America reported a grim milestone of 50,000 deaths from the disease.
30/05/2020
Reuters
England risks COVID-19 resurgence by ending lockdown too soon, scientific advisers say
LONDON (Reuters) - England risks losing control of the coronavirus pandemic again and is at a “very dangerous moment” as it starts to ease out of the COVID-19 lockdown, senior scientific and medical advisers warned on Saturday.
29/05/2020
ABC News
Victoria toughens coronavirus work-from-home directives to keep people out of offices for June
Victoria is moving from a work-from-home advisory to an order, which means it carries penalties. It only applies to people who have already been working at home during the pandemic. The move is aimed at keeping office workers off the public transport network.
29/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus restrictions eased in WA with almost all businesses set to reopen under new rules
Indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to 100 people will be permitted. Up to 300 people will be allowed in some venues, subject to spacing rules. Galleries, beauty services, gyms, theatres and cinemas may reopen.
28/05/2020
Reuters
U.S. coronavirus deaths top 100,000 as country reopens
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 100,000 people in the United States, according to a Reuters tally on Wednesday, even as the slowdown in deaths encouraged businesses to reopen and Americans to emerge from more than two months of lockdowns.
28/05/2020
SBS News
Bureau of Meteorology announces wet winter outlook for 2020
Health authorities say a 30-year-old man who died in central Queensland did not have any connection to a Rockhampton aged care nurse who tested positive.
28/05/2020
ABC News
Bureau of Meteorology announces wet winter outlook for 2020
There is a more than 70 per cent chance of above average rainfall for much of inland Australia. Cropping regions have received welcome rain, but it is a long way until the end of the season.
27/05/2020
Zero Hedge
Here Is The Best Advance Indicator If A Second Wave Of Coronavirus Is Coming
a team of researchers from Yale University in New Haven, Conn. published a paper earlier this month on their studies of SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in the sewage in the Greater New Haven area. In the abstract of their report, the team determined that "when adjusted for the time lag, the virus RNA concentrations were highly correlated with the COVID-19 epidemiological curve (R2 =0.99) and local hospital admissions (R2 =0.99).
27/05/2020
SBS News
A 30-year-old Queensland man has died from coronavirus
The man is Australia's youngest COVID-19 victim and the first confirmed case from his central Queensland community.
27/05/2020
SBS News
Concerns for WA port workers who boarded ship before COVID-19 outbreak confirmed
Fremantle Port workers boarded a live export ship before a COVID-19 outbreak was confirmed, and there are concerns they and their families have been exposed.
27/05/2020
ABC News
Australian coronavirus experts reveal how safe it is to visit shopping centres
Recent research suggests 1.5 metres may not be enough distance between people. To date there have been no known outbreaks of coronavirus in shopping centres. Masks could be of benefit if you are likely to get distracted when shopping.
27/05/2020
ABC News
Woman diagnosed with coronavirus 80 days ago still showing symptoms
A leading virologist says the two month incubation period of two recently diagnosed coronavirus cases is "incredibly rare". A woman diagnosed 80 days ago says the virus has caused severe long-term damage to her body. Infectious disease nurses told Debbie Kilroy she may experience symptoms for up to six months.
26/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus outbreak on live export ship Al Kuwait docked in Fremantle as six test positive for COVID-19
Six crew members of a livestock carrier docked in Fremantle have tested positive for coronavirus, with the WA Government revealing details of an outbreak on board the ship.
26/05/2020
9 News
WHO warns of 'second peak' in areas where COVID-19 declining
GENEVA (Reuters) - Countries where coronavirus infections are declining could still face an “immediate second peak” if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
26/05/2020
Reuters
WHO pauses trial of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients due to safety concerns
GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization has suspended testing the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients due to safety concerns, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday.
26/05/2020
SBS News
Two Sydney schools evacuated after students test positive for coronavirus
Students have been sent home from two schools in Sydney's eastern suburbs after pupils tested positive for coronavirus.
26/05/2020
SBS News
Coronavirus: China's top diplomat urges US to cooperate over fighting pandemic
The first Australian human trials of a coronavirus vaccine are about to kick off with more than 100 volunteers.
25/05/2020
9 News
Coronavirus: China's top diplomat urges US to cooperate over fighting pandemic
The United States should stop wasting time in its fight against the coronavirus and work with China to combat it, rather than spreading lies and attacking the country, the Chinese government's top diplomat Wang Yi says.
25/05/2020
Reuters
Americans pass pandemic holiday on beaches, in parks as death toll nears 100,000
(Reuters) - Americans sunbathed on beaches, fished from boats and strolled on boardwalks this holiday weekend, but the occasional person wearing a mask was a constant reminder that the world is still battling the coronavirus pandemic.
25/05/2020
Reuters
China reports three new coronavirus cases after first day with none
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China recorded three new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland for May 23, following the first day with no new cases since the outbreak began, the National Health Commission (NHC) said in a statement on Sunday.
25/05/2020
9 News
Coronavirus infections shut down world's deepest gold mine
The world's deepest gold mine has been temporarily closed after 164 workers were found infected with coronavirus, the BBC reports.
25/05/2020
ABC News
Australian shares jump on coronavirus recovery, putting aside US-China tension
Australian shares have kicked off the week higher as optimistic investors focused more on the COVID-19 economic recovery, rather than concerns about rising US-China tensions.
22/05/2020
9 News
State-by-state: What's re-opening and what isn't around Australia
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has unveiled the National Cabinet's three-stage plan to reopen Australia, economically and recreationally, from the COVID-19 lockdown.
22/05/2020
9 News
'China needs Australia': Deputy PM adamant trade war will be resolved
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack remains adamant China will continue to accept Australian exports, as federal politicians dig in their heels on a COVID-19 investigation amid tariff threats.
22/05/2020
9 News
Health experts say it's safe to fly in the middle seat on planes
Australia's top medical experts say it is safe to sit in the middle seat on planes filled to capacity as aircrafts prepare to take to the skies across Australia once again.
22/05/2020
9 News
Coronavirus world updates: US unemployment edges towards 40 million, Trump refuses to wear face mask
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits in the two months since the coronavirus took hold in the US has swelled to nearly 39 million, the government reported Thursday, even as states from coast to coast gradually reopen their economies and let people go back to work.
22/05/2020
ABC News
NSW coronavirus death toll climbs, bringing Australia's total to 101, as Government urges more testing
The NSW coronavirus death toll has climbed to 50 following the death of an 80-year-old Sydney woman, bringing Australia's total to 101.
22/05/2020
SBS News
Australia's research ship checking Hobart air quality amid coronavirus shutdown
Tasmanian scientists are collecting data on Hobart's air quality using the CSIRO's research vessel Investigator while the ship is stuck in port due to the coronavirus restrictions.
22/05/2020
ABC News
Victoria coronavirus cases rise by 12, including another five linked to Cedar Meats cluster
Victoria has recorded another 12 coronavirus infections, including five linked to an outbreak at the Cedar Meats abattoir.
22/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed in SA, but what does this mean in practice?
Coronavirus restrictions in South Australia are easing from today and people are feeling more comfortable venturing out of their homes, but a big topic for many is when they can go to the pub for a drink.
21/05/2020
SBS News
World Health Organization concerned for poorer countries after most single day infections yet
The World Health Organization has expressed concern about the rising number of new coronavirus cases in poor countries, even as many rich countries have begun emerging from lockdown.
21/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus pandemic may reverse human development for first time in 30 years, UN says
Crisis will erase all progress of past six years, according to report Six out of 10 children globally not getting education due to school closures.
21/05/2020
ABC News
Bees starved by drought will cause crops to fail if left to die, warn Queensland beekeepers
The Queensland Beekeepers' Association warns food production is at stake if bees can't be kept alive through winter to pollinate crops. Drought and bushfires have caused unprecedented food shortages for bees and Queensland's honey production is expected to be down 90 per cent in 2020.
21/05/2020
ABC News
Why do rich countries have such high coronavirus death tolls?
The worst-hit countries are amongst the most mobile and are home to some of the world's busiest airports, handling hundreds of millions of passengers each year. The affluence that allowed for this international travel undoubtedly spread the virus quickly and efficiently. The lower levels of travel to low to middle-income countries could help explain why they were able to escape the virus, at least in the early days of the pandemic.
21/05/2020
Zero Hedge
US Deaths Projected To Triple By Year-End Regardless Of Social Distancing: Study
"COVID-19 infection is deadlier than flu — we can put that debate to rest," said Anirban Basu, University of Washington health economist who authored the study which found that based on the infection fatality rate, 1.3% of those who show symptoms of COVID-19 die, which makes it 13x more deadly than a bad influenza season.
21/05/2020
Zero Hedge
China's Newest COVID-19 Outbreak Shows Virus May Be Mutating
A flood of new research has been published, and scientists have discovered more discouraging signs of mutation in samples of the virus. And yet, medical experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci have seemed at times overly eager to dismiss these mutations, and claim - without evidence - that there was no reason to believe the virus was evolving and changing in a way that might complicate efforts to create a vaccine.
20/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: how severe lung infections knock out a key immune defence
Scientists say that a type of cell that kills harmful organisms can be paralysed, making patients more vulnerable to other diseases. But there is a trigger for reviving the cells, raising implications for treatment, they say.
20/05/2020
SBS News
Regional NSW travel to recommence on 1 June
Recreational regional travel within NSW will be allowed again from 1 June under a relaxation of COVID-19 travel restrictions.
20/05/2020
Business Insider
Lockdowns cut daily carbon emissions in April to 17% below last year's average — but that only gets us back to 2006 levels
Lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic have had an extreme, unprecedented environmental impact. In April, global carbon emissions per day were 17% lower than they were on average the year prior, a new study found. A drop in emissions from cars, buses, trucks accounts for 43% of the decrease.
20/05/2020
ABC News
Queensland woman diagnosed with coronavirus two months after returning from India
Health authorities in Queensland are trying to understand how a woman in Brisbane acquired COVID-19 after returning from overseas two months ago.. The woman — who lives on Brisbane's north side — was diagnosed with the virus overnight.
20/05/2020
ABC News
The coronavirus pandemic will change the way we work, with both men and women to reap the benefits
Rigid workplace structures have traditionally been a major barrier for women who, like Ms Calderon, don't want to give up their career due to caring responsibilities. But that has started to change in recent years and some believe an accelerated shift to workplace flexibility could be a silver lining to come out of a pandemic that has disproportionately affected female workers.
20/05/2020
ABC News
Mirabai twice thought she was clear of COVID-19. But she has just returned a third positive test
Mirabai Nicholson-McKellar first tested positive to COVID-19 in March. In late April she was told she was clear to leave isolation. Since then she has tested positive to COVID-19 twice more.
19/05/2020
SBS News
France sees 70 coronavirus cases linked to schools days after students returned to classrooms
Seventy new coronavirus cases have been linked to schools in France, a week after a third of the country's students returned to the classroom.
19/05/2020
Reuters
Coronavirus vaccine from Moderna appears safe, shows promise in data from eight people
Moderna Inc’s (MRNA.O) experimental COVID-19 vaccine, the first to be tested in the United States, produced protective antibodies in a small group of healthy volunteers, according to very early data released by the biotech company on Monday.
19/05/2020
SBS News
World Health Organization agrees to independent virus probe after Australia's push
Australia's push for an independent inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic has been vindicated globally with widespread backing of the probe, including from China. More than 110 countries at the World Health Assembly on Monday night backed a resolution calling for an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of the international response to the pandemic.
19/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus patients with even mild cases of COVID-19 are taking months to recover and suffering extreme fatigue
Many patients who contract COVID-19 are experiencing effects for many weeks. Some are complaining of severe fatigue. St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney is undertaking a 12-month study into the effects of the virus
19/05/2020
South China Morning Post
T cells found in healthy people before pandemic may help fight coronavirus, study says
US researchers find helper and killer immune cells that can target the virus in samples from volunteers taken from 2015 to 2018. They are likely to have had mild flu-like symptoms in the past caused by other strains, according to the scientists.
18/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus exposure closes 12 McDonald's restaurants in Victoria after delivery driver tests positive
A dozen McDonald's restaurants across Melbourne's north and west have been closed and hundreds of workers asked to self-isolate after a delivery driver tested positive for coronavirus.
18/05/2020
9 News
China vulnerable to second coronavirus wave due to lack of immunity: top adviser
China still faces the "big challenge" of a potential second wave of COVID-19 infections, the country's top respiratory authority has warned, with the lack of immunity among the community a serious concern as the race to develop a vaccine continues.
18/05/2020
9 News
WA eases lockdown restrictions: Everything you can and can't do from today
From today, Western Australia is relaxing a number of lockdown restrictions as the state moves toward phase three of the COVID-19 recovery plan.
18/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus latest: vaccine hopes dampened as WHO meets; US economy could shrink 30 per cent
On a weekend when many pandemic-weary people emerged from weeks of lockdown, leaders in the US and Europe weighed the risks and rewards of lifting Covid-19 restrictions knowing that a vaccine could take years to develop.
17/05/2020
ABC News
The coronavirus new normal facing Australians in a world still gripped by pandemic
A Brisbane gym is enacting strict social distancing measures. Most pools are likely to remain closed as it's too costly to reopen. City eateries are reconfiguring their dining spaces to low patronage.
17/05/2020
ABC News
The coronavirus economic crisis has hit different sectors of business in very different ways
Payroll data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) between March 14 and April 18 showed a 5.9 per cent drop in retail sector jobs in WA and an 8.6 per cent drop in wages. But Daniel Kiely, a principal research fellow at the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, feared the Federal Government's JobKeeper program could be masking the full extent of the economic damage done by COVID-19 to many sectors.
16/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: eight Covid-19 vaccine candidates are in clinical trial, WHO says
Another 110 vaccine candidates are in various stages of development, as governments around the world scramble to contain the virus. Pharmaceutical firms and health institutes in countries including the US, China and Germany have led the development to treat Covid-19 patients.
15/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus case in Rockhampton nursing home, centre in lockdown after nurse tests positive
A nurse has tested positive for coronavirus at a Rockhampton aged care home forcing it into lockdown as authorities try to figure out who she has been in contact with.
15/05/2020
ABC News
Victoria records another 21 coronavirus cases as McDonald's and Cedar Meats outbreaks grow
Victoria has recorded another 21 new cases of coronavirus overnight, including two infections linked to an outbreak at the Fawkner McDonald's restaurant and one case linked to the Cedar Meats cluster.
15/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus: call for Hong Kong Covid-19 survivors to donate plasma, which tests show kills infection
The Hong Kong Red Cross has appealed to recovered Covid-19 patients in the city to donate blood plasma to help those still sick with the disease, saying it can dramatically improve their condition.
15/05/2020
News Corp Australia
Malaria drug no help for COVID-19: studies
Patients given the malaria drug touted by US President Donald Trump as a potential treatment for COVID-19 did not improve significantly over those who did not, according to two new studies published in the medical journal BMJ.
15/05/2020
9 News
Virus app users should update for safety
Tech experts are urging Australians to not just download but update the coronavirus contact tracing app to avoid a problem where it could be disabled.
15/05/2020
9 News
Doctors in Italy find link between rare child disease and COVID-19
Doctors in Italy have become the latest to raise the alarm over a worrying spike in children getting sick with a rare but serious inflammatory syndrome they say is tied to the coronavirus pandemic.
15/05/2020
9 News
Young COVID-19 patient suffers cardiac arrest after infection from mystery illness
A young girl in the US survived cardiac arrest after she fell ill with COVID-19 and the mystery toxic syndrome crippling infected children.
14/05/2020
9 News
New Zealanders return to the streets, work as coronavirus restrictions ease further
After 51 days of strict adherence to stay-at-home orders, New Zealanders are returning to a life closer to normal.
14/05/2020
ABC News
Unemployment rise 'devastating' for Australians hit by coronavirus restrictions, PM Scott Morrison says
Prime Minister says unemployment figures 'shocking' but not unanticipated. The Federal Treasurer says women make up the majority of job losses. Warnings there will be more bad news in the months ahead as the impact of coronavirus shutdowns becomes clearer.
14/05/2020
Daily Mail
International travel from Australia may not get back to normal for another three years, says top air transport boss
International travel could take at least three years before it returns to normal. Top travel boss Alexandre de Juniac says the industry won't recover until 2023.
14/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cluster at Victorian McDonald's continues to grow, with two more close contacts diagnosed
There are now eight cases of coronavirus associated with the McDonald's cluster at Fawkner and three new cases at Cedar Meats Australia. Four of the McDonald's cluster cases are staff and four are relatives of one individual.
14/05/2020
ABC News
Experts worried people delaying medical tests due to coronavirus will create 'tidal wave' of diagnoses
The Cancer Council says up to one in 10 Australians have put off cancer screening during the pandemic. Cancer screening services for breast, bowel and cervical cancers are currently operating. GPs are urging people not to avoid them, saying their practices are "probably safer than going to your local supermarket".
14/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Cats with no symptoms spread coronavirus to other cats in lab test
Scientists behind experiment say it shows need for more research into whether virus can spread from humans to felines then back to humans. Health experts, however, note that just because animal can be deliberately infected in lab does not mean same can happen ‘under natural conditions’.
13/05/2020
Zero Hedge
NY Reports 93 Children Sick With 'Mysterious COVID-19-Linked Respiratory Syndrome'
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and NY Gov Andrew Cuomo have repeatedly warned about the growing number of children affected by a mysterious, possibly COVID-19-linked respiratory syndrome this week, and Newsday reported Tuesday afternoon that the number of children infected statewide has climbed to 93.
13/05/2020
Reuters
UK's COVID-19 death toll tops 40,000, worst in Europe
Figures published by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales brought the United Kingdom’s official death toll to 38,289 as of May 3, according to a Reuters tally of death registrations that also includes Scotland and Northern Ireland.
13/05/2020
ABC News
A hard end date to coronavirus stimulus JobKeeper, JobSeeker packages could sink economy in September, warn experts
The Government says more than 1.4m people are receiving JobSeeker, while JobKeeper covers businesses employing 5.5m workers. The Grattan Institute estimates the Government will be injecting $120b into the economy between July and September, or 25 per cent of GDP.
13/05/2020
SBS News
Government's 1.5 million COVID-19 antibody tests 'not accurate enough
Australian National University Professor Carola Vinuesa, one of the report's co-authors, says the tests are not useful. "At the moment, the quality does not seem to be good enough for these tests to be deployed in large scale," she told the newspaper. "The sensitivity is not very good. They are not useful in being able to say 'you were infected'."
13/05/2020
SBS News
NSW records community-transmitted coronavirus cases as death toll rises to 98
NSW recorded six new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, including three authorities fear were caught within the community.
13/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus restrictions are easing but that doesn't mean the pandemic is over, health experts warn
"What we're trying to avoid is what people are referring to as a 'second wave' — a really large outbreak coming on the back of our success in preventing the initial outbreak from getting out of control in Australia."
13/05/2020
ABC News
CBA completes bank results with third quarter update, flags $1.5b coronavirus hit
The Commonwealth Bank sets aside a large pile of cash to cover expected COVID-19-related losses, as Australia's biggest home lender warns of a potential 32 per cent house price crash in a worst-case "prolonged" economic downturn.
12/05/2020
ABC News
Travel to Australia down by 60 per cent due to coronavirus restrictions
Overseas visitor arrivals fell by 60 per cent in March, compared to the same month in 2019, with every state and territory recording dramatic falls.
12/05/2020
ABC News
Mystery transmission highlights concerns over COVID-19 complacency in the Kimberley
Contact tracing teams have been unable to identify the origin of three of the Kimberley's 17 COVID-19 cases. Doctors say it highlights the need to avoid complacency as WA moves to reduce restrictions.
12/05/2020
ABC News
WA coronavirus case at Perth's Pan Pacific Hotel as latest arrivals set to leave Rottnest Island quarantine
The man was a contact of someone who was in quarantine at the hotel. The Premier says it is a reminder WA is "not out of the woods yet". Rottnest Island is set to stay a quarantine facility for arrivals in WA.
12/05/2020
ABC News
Tasmania's post-coronavirus deficit to be 'significantly north of half a billion dollars', Premier says
Tasmania's net debt is forecast to be as high as $2 billion at the end of the next financial year. The Premier will give an update on the coronavirus's financial impact on Friday. He has defended the staged reopening of the economy, saying lives have to protected.
12/05/2020
Australian Associated Press
Avoid crowds to hamper coronavirus spread
Australians have been warned mingling in groups or abandoning social distancing measures could spark fresh coronavirus outbreaks. Deputy Chief Medical Officer Michael Kidd said complacency could cause major problems as state governments gradually ease restrictions on the economy and society.
12/05/2020
Australian Associated Press
No new coronavirus cases recorded in NSW
The state recorded zero new cases over the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday from some 6048 tests, with the state’s total remaining at 3053.
12/05/2020
SBS News
Second wave of coronavirus infections in Germany and South Korea a cautionary tale for Australia, experts warn
Health experts have warned that second waves of COVID-19 infections in Germany and South Korea should act as a cautionary tale for Australia. Both countries successfully flattened their pandemic curves and relaxed some coronavirus restrictions, only to see a spike of infections in recent days. It comes as Australia starts to loosen its own restrictions and moves towards a "new normal" by July.
12/05/2020
ABC News
Victoria outlines coronavirus plan to get school students back to classroom learning
State school students in prep and grades one, two, 11 and 12 will resume classroom learning on May 26. Grades three to 10 will return to school campuses on June 9. All specialist schools will fully reopen on May 26.
12/05/2020
ABC News
States will pay dearly if coronavirus restrictions are forced to return, Frydenberg warns
Thousands of jobs are expected to return as restrictions ease, boosting state economies. Monthly economic output could increase by $9 billion when stage three restrictions ease. The main driver of the recovery will be from increased demand and the reopening of schools.
12/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus latest: WHO warns countries are ‘driving blind’, as US deaths top 80,000
Chile backtracks on ‘immunity cards’ amid backlash; Turkey orders four-day lockdown. Ghana president says one person infected 533 at fish factory.
11/05/2020
Reuters
Mainland China reports 17 new COVID-19 cases amid new infections in Wuhan
BEIJING (Reuters) - China reported 17 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland on May 10, rising from a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase since April 28, highlighting the difficulty in stamping out the disease.
11/05/2020
Reuters
No end to lockdown yet but 'careful' easing begins, British PM Johnson says
LONDON (Reuters) - The coronavirus lockdown will not end yet, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday, urging people to “stay alert” to the risks as he outlined plans to begin slowly easing measures that have closed much of the economy for seven weeks.
11/05/2020
SBS News
NSW records just one new coronavirus case as students begin return to classrooms
NSW students will return to classrooms for one day of face-to-face teaching per week, with the full-scale resumption of schooling expected at the end of May.
11/05/2020
SBS News
More than 90 per cent of Tokyo's hospital beds for COVID-19 patients are now occupied
The Japanese Health Ministry says more than 90 per cent of hospital beds secured for COVID-19 patients in the capital Tokyo have already been occupied.
10/05/2020
SBS News
Coronavirus spread accelerates again in Germany just days after restrictions eased
The spread of COVID-19 has accelerated again in Germany after restrictions were eased, with outbreaks at meat processing plants triggering an "emergency brake".
10/05/2020
SBS News
It's up to 'mobile, active adults' to keep coronavirus at bay, says CMO Brendan Murphy
Australia is in a privileged position to be one of few countries to "successfully suppress" COVID-19, but now is not the time to be complacent, the country's top medical professor warns.
10/05/2020
SBS News
Conspiracy theorists flout social distancing rules at Melbourne coronavirus lockdown rally
A group of conspiracy theorists have been arrested after defying lockdown laws and holding a rally against vaccinations and 5G at Victoria's state parliament.
10/05/2020
ABC News
Staying home during COVID-19 and rainy conditions in SA spur surge in demand for native plants
Rain and coronavirus restrictions mean nursery sales are blooming. Some nurseries have noticed a 70 per cent increase in customer numbers.
10/05/2020
ABC News
Post-COVID-19 wave of regional migration predicted as people seek simpler life, get back to basics
The Real Estate Institute says regional areas could see an influx of new residents. Agents are reporting an increase in interest in rural and regional properties.
10/05/2020
ABC News
WA coronavirus restriction easing not enough for pubs, beauticians, tourism industry
Pubs say it may not be viable to reopen for just 20 patrons. The Tourism Council is worried about the impact of keeping the Kimberley region closed.
8/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Explainer | The likely reason some South Korean patients tested positive for Covid-19 again
South Korean health authorities raised new concerns about the novel coronavirus after reporting last month that dozens of patients who had recovered from the illness later tested positive again.
8/05/2020
ABC News
Charting the COVID-19 spread in Australia
To date, state and territory health authorities have reported 6,912 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, including 97 deaths.
8/05/2020
9 News
Woolworths stores return to normal trading hours from Monday
Woolworths stores around the country will return to normal trading hours from Monday.
8/05/2020
South China Morning Post
University of Hong Kong study finds eyes are ‘important route’ for coronavirus, up to 100 times more infectious than Sars
Researchers from HKU’s school of public health reveal the coronavirus is up to 100 times more infectious through the eyes and airways than Sars.
8/05/2020
ABC News
Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer calls for new regulations on wildlife markets to prevent future pandemics
Australia is leading an international push to introduce new regulations and standards for wildlife markets in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
8/05/2020
ABC News
WA prepares to relax coronavirus restrictions despite recording first COVID-19 case in nine days
Western Australia's roadmap to ease coronavirus restrictions will be laid out in full by the end of the weekend as the state recorded one new case overnight, breaking its eight-day streak of no positive tests.
8/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Blood thinners may help sickest Covid-19 patients survive, US study finds
Blood thinners could improve the survival rate among the most severely ill Covid-19 patients, according to a hospital study in New York City.
8/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Sperm containing coronavirus raises possibility of sexually transmitted Covid-19, Chinese study shows
Chinese researchers have found Covid-19 in the sperm of a small number of men, raising the possibility that the virus could be spread via sex.
7/05/2020
ABC News
National Cabinet unlikely to make rapid changes on coronavirus restrictions when it meets on Friday
National Cabinet will likely agree to ease restrictions in four-week increments, rather than all at once. This will allow monitoring of the impact each change has on infection risk.
7/05/2020
South China Morning Post
US coronavirus study says suppressing body’s initial immune response may help in fight against Covid-19
‘A short regimen of a proper immunosuppressant drug applied early in the disease process may improve a patient’s outcome,’ paper’s co-author says. But immunologist says move would be ‘very dangerous because you’re crippling your body’s ability’ to clear the infection.
7/05/2020
SBS News
Australia's suicide rate could surge due to economic fallout of coronavirus
New modelling which shows Australia’s suicide rate could soar as a result of the affects of coronavirus has prompted calls for urgent action to meet the mental health challenge facing the nation.
7/05/2020
SBS News
Brooklyn pier turned into morgue amid virus deaths
Usually the 39th Street Pier in New York is a ferry terminal and venue for live music performances. However, the pier is now home to a fleet of refrigerated morgue trucks as the city deals with thousands of dead from the coronavirus pandemic.
7/05/2020
SBS News
South Korea gives a glimpse into life on the other side of the coronavirus crisis
South Korea endured one of the worst early outbreaks of the disease outside China but is one of the first countries to get on top of the pandemic.
7/05/2020
ABC News
'New mechanism for stroke?': Blood clotting in coronavirus patients has experts looking at role of viruses in causing stroke
A growing body of evidence is painting a grim picture of how coronavirus can wreak havoc from one end of the body to the other. It's well established that COVID-19 affects the respiratory system and targets the lungs. But several studies and anecdotal evidence suggest the disease may also cause super-charged blood clotting that damages vital organs, including the kidneys, heart and brain.
6/05/2020
ABC News
South Australia marks two weeks with no new coronavirus cases in 'exciting day' for state
There have been no new positive cases of coronavirus in SA for a fortnight. Two people are still infected and another two are in hospital still recovering from the effects of COVID-19.
6/05/2020
ABC News
Researchers find new coronavirus strain 'more contagious', potentially impacting COVID-19 vaccine search
The research found the newer strain of coronavirus, or the 'G-strain', may allow people to be infected a second time. It also found the second strain spread faster, possibly meaning it was more contagious The research, which has not been peer-reviewed, has divided the scientific community with one expert saying he was "sceptical".
6/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases in NSW rise as authorities investigate five mystery infections
More than half of yesterday's infections had an unknown source.
6/05/2020
SBS News
Australians recovering from coronavirus can donate blood plasma to create new treatment
People who have recovered from COVID-19 in Australia can donate their plasma to contribute to the development of a potentially lifesaving treatment.
6/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus numbers have put Australia's growth factor back above one — should we be worried?
Australia has done an incredible job of getting our coronavirus outbreak under control.But for the first time in more than a month, the 'growth factor' for COVID-19 cases has risen above one. That is, we have more new cases this week than we did last week.
6/05/2020
ABC News
Victoria records 17 new coronavirus cases as meatworks COVID-19 cluster grows
Victoria has recorded another 17 cases of COVID-19, including four new diagnoses linked to a cluster at a meat processing facility. There are now 49 coronavirus cases associated with Cedar Meats Australia, the majority of which are direct workers at the abattoir.
5/05/2020
Business Insider
ANearly one million Australian jobs have been lost since coronavirus restriction kicked off, official figures show – and women have been disproportionately affected
Initial Australian job losses have been quantified by the ABS, with 7.5% of jobs disappearing in the first month of the government’s social distancing measures. Applied to the entire labour force, it suggests nearly one million people lost their job between 14 March and 18 April.
5/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Italy baffled by unexplained surge in deaths during coronavirus crisis
Country recorded 50 per cent more fatalities than usual in March, suggesting pandemic toll could be double official figure. Not knowing real numbers complicates planning for government as Italy eases out of world’s longest lockdown.
5/05/2020
BBC News
Coronavirus: France's first known case 'was in December'
A patient diagnosed with pneumonia near Paris on 27 December actually had the coronavirus, his doctor has said. Dr Yves Cohen told French media a swab taken at the time was recently tested, and came back positive for Covid-19.
5/05/2020
SBS News
Australia is losing $4 billion every week the current coronavirus restrictions stay in place
Australia's economy will take a $50 billion hit in the June quarter but things could get a lot worse if restrictions to deal with the coronavirus stay in place. As the nation's leaders start planning baby steps towards normality, its bean counters have calculated the economic cost of the health measures. Treasury has estimated Australia's economy will shrink by between 10 and 12 per cent by June, equivalent to $50 billion.
5/05/2020
ABC News
Newmarch House coronavirus cluster grows after three more staff test positive
More than 60 staff and residents at the facility have been infected. Staff there are being tested for COVID-19 daily. Fifteen people have died at the Caddens nursing home where a staff member worked six shifts last month despite displaying mild coronavirus symptoms.
5/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus cases up by 17 in Victoria, including another 11 cases linked to Melbourne meatworks
It brings the total number of COVID-19 cases linked to the cluster at Cedar Meats abattoir to 45.
5/05/2020
ABC News
When it comes to coronavirus testing, not all tests are created equal
The ABC has found not all diagnostic tests currently approved for use are considered accurate or reliable.
5/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Quarantine centres better than self-isolation for halting coronavirus, experts say
Isolating at home is too reliant on personal compliance, study finds. ‘Fangcang’ isolation shelters built in Wuhan, China’s initial epicentre, were more effective in cutting transmissions.
4/05/2020
ABC News
What's it like to recover after coronavirus puts you on a ventilator in intensive care?
How does your body learn to breathe again when a machine has been doing it for you?
4/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus most likely to be passed on in early stages of illness or before symptoms appear, Taiwan study says
Those who came into contact with confirmed Covid-19 cases just before or soon after symptoms appeared were most likely to become infected. Researchers say findings highlight the importance of early contact tracing and tracking as well as social distancing.
4/05/2020
ABC News
One hundred days of the coronavirus crisis
For now, Australia appears to have kept the virus in check and avoided a full-blown coronavirus crisis. This data shows how we did it.
4/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus pandemic shakes up Australian workplaces, as businesses prepare for the other side
Alison Pennington, a senior economist at The Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work, said it was easy to see how the pandemic work regime could compound inequality in Australia.
4/05/2020
SBS News
Sydney school closes after student tests positive to coronavirus
A Sydney school has closed for intensive cleaning and contact tracing after a student tested positive to the coronavirus. Just days after term 2 began, Warragamba Public School will be "non-operational for on-site learning" on Monday, with all students undertaking at home learning.
4/05/2020
Reuters
Oil prices lower on U.S.-China trade tension
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell in early trade on Monday, paring last week’s gains, on worries the global oil glut may persist as U.S.-China trade tension could hold back an economic recovery even as coronavirus pandemic lockdowns start to ease.
4/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus is focusing attention on how fragile global supply chains can be, so how will Australia respond?
The economic shutdown has focused much attention on supply chains.
4/05/2020
Reuters
Global coronavirus cases surpass 3.5 million, although rate slowing
For now, Australia appears to have kept the virus in check and avoided a full-blown coronavirus crisis. This data shows how we did it.
3/05/2020
SBS News
After seven weeks in lockdown, people in Spain have finally been allowed outside to exercise
People in Spain have been finally allowed outside to exercise after a large coronavirus outbreak forced people into a seven-week lockdown.
3/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus case sees Victorian Government shut school
Health Minister Jenny Mikakos said a teacher at Epping's Meadowglen Primary School had tested positive to the virus. Ms Mikakos said the school would be shut down for three days to enable cleaning and contact tracing.
3/05/2020
SBS News
Possible infection control breaches investigated as 14th resident dies at Sydney's Newmarch House
A 14th resident of the Newmarch House aged care home in western Sydney has died after becoming infected with COVID-19.
2/05/2020
South China Morning Post
Coronavirus more likely to kill men and the obese, study says
British researchers link being male or obese to lower Covid-19 survival rates in largest study conducted outside China. Obese people could be at greater risk because they have reduced lung function and their immune systems may overreact.
2/05/2020
SBS News
Tas outbreak under control, no new cases
Tasmania could soon reopen green spaces after bringing a COVID-19 outbreak in the northwest under control.
2/05/2020
SBS News
New coronavirus outbreak at Melbourne meat facility
A new coronavirus outbreak has been uncovered in a Melbourne meat processing facility, as authorities warn Victoria's progress in fighting the pandemic remains "incredibly fragile".
2/05/2020
ABC News
Remdesivir authorised as coronavirus treatment by US in 'important first step'
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved emergency use of experimental anti-viral drug remdesivir to treat patients with COVID-19.
2/05/2020
ABC News
Coronavirus pandemic exposes fatal flaws of the 'just-in-time' economy
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some of the downsides of the "just-in-time" economy — a defining feature of capitalism during the past three to four decades.
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