Australia s second-wave epicentre records zero new virus cases
Australian health officials on Monday reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths in Victoria state, which has spent months under onerous restrictions after becoming the epicentre of the country's second wave......»»
Earth Hour, 5 Reasons to Participate
On March 23, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM, everyone in the world is encouraged to turn off their lights and appliances. Dubbed Earth Hour, this global event started in Australia back in 2007 as a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative. It might be easy to wave off Earth Hour as just 60 minutes of.....»»
‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war
On 26 February 2022, while Russian tanks were barrelling towards Kyiv, Ukrainian lawyers were fighting on a different front, submitting a case against Moscow at the International Court of Justice. The gilded halls of the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the court sits, are a world away from the trenches of Donbas but Ukraine believes its legal attacks on Russia are a critical part of the fight. What cases are open in Ukraine's campaign of all-out "lawfare" against Moscow and, with little chance of Russian compliance, what's the point? Where are the legal front lines? The Hague, Strasbourg, and Hamburg. Ukraine has dragged Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which rules on disputes between nations, arguing that President Vladimir Putin abused the UN Genocide Convention when he used an alleged "genocide" in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for invasion. The final arguments in this case will be heard later Wednesday. Also in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a war crime. Neither of these courts, however, can try Russian leaders, including Putin, for the crime of "aggression", defined as an attack on one state by another in breach of the UN charter. So a special group of prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the ICC has been set up in The Hague with a view to establishing a special tribunal to bring senior Russians to trial. Ukraine also has cases open at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg over alleged Russian human rights abuses. Finally, Ukraine also brought cases to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg over what it says is Russia's disregard for international maritime law. Will Russia comply? It seems unlikely that Russia would comply with any ruling from an international court -- for example, in March 2022, the ICJ ordered Moscow to immediately halt its invasion. Russia didn't even turn up to the hearings in that case. But it's far from an academic exercise, said Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University. "There are examples of cases in which Russia has complied at least partially with an adverse ruling by an international court," Rose told AFP, citing a 2015 verdict in which Moscow reportedly stumped up half the cash it was ordered to. "It shows that non-compliance cannot be cynically assumed. Most of the time, states do comply with awards and judgments rendered by international courts and tribunals." What's the point? Even if Russia doesn't comply, Kyiv and most legal experts think the international community needs to draw a line in the sand. "Some countries do not comply with the law, including Russia. However, it is still important to call them out and to bring a case against them when they do breach the law," said Melanie O'Brien, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia Law School. "The case demonstrates that other countries do not view Russia's conduct as acceptable -- but rather, as unlawful," O'Brien told AFP. A ruling from the ICJ against Russia would be a further element in isolating Moscow and confirming it broke international law, she said. "It is also an important acknowledgment for victims of human rights abuses and international crimes such as war crimes that what happened to them and their loved ones was not lawful," she added. Proving that Russia's actions were in contravention of international law could also be key in future peace negotiations, including over potential reparations, noted Rose. How long will it take? The wheels of justice grind slowly. The ICJ "genocide" case is only about whether the court even has jurisdiction. A special tribunal is politically sensitive and will take a long time to establish. But the wheels of justice also grind exceedingly fine. "Just because Putin won't comply with a ruling now, he won't be in power forever," said O'Brien. "At some point, a change of regime will occur and may lead to compliance with international law." The post ‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India
Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in India Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China. US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside his Indian counterpart Manoj Pande, and vowed to boost cooperation to "maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific". Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defense cooperation forum alongside Washington and New Delhi, also took part, as did Britain and France. As the generals met, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would oppose the "wanton expansion of military alliances", the latest in a string of warnings as Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific. Beijing has long said that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would provoke conflict. Nations present at the two-day conference in New Delhi included Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have longstanding pending territorial disputes with China. The conference, which launched in 1999, brings together army chiefs and top officers from 30 countries. India's Pande said the region faced challenges on both land and at sea. "These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases, even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases," Pande added, in an indirect reference to China. India has also had to balance its traditional alliance with Russia -- the provider of most of its arms imports, and now a source of cut-price oil -- with growing ties to Washington. "The partnership between India and the US armies is vital for stability in the region, and the relationship between our armies is strong and growing stronger," George said. The post US army chief and allies discuss Asia-Pacific in India appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cyber education, a must
“Digitalization is the call of today, not the call of the future, but of the present. It is here. It is needed, and it is needed today.” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted in his second SoNA his administration’s agenda for all government agencies and local government units to digitalize all their services. He called for the digitalization of payments, business registrations, issuances of permits and licenses, loan applications and revenue collections. The digitalization efforts, he stated, should be made to streamline processes for ease of doing business, combat corruption and make decisions in a data-driven and science-based manner. I commend this push for e-governance and e-commerce by the President. He is right. The digital age is upon us and we must invest in digital technology and infrastructure for our economy to be globally competitive. Cyber Education Law However, the very basic foundation needed for the government’s digitalization efforts should be the investment in human capital. We know that our labor is the country’s biggest asset and the factor that keeps our economy afloat. We export labor, remittances flow, and these in turn fund local consumption. That is why there is an urgent need for us to legislate the incorporation of cyber-education among our population and we must start with our basic education. Investing in cyber-education is not a novel idea. It is a model of development in many advanced countries. As the World Economic Forum or WEF found out in a study, countries like Israel (which currently ranks 8th in the Cyber Risk Literacy and Education Index) show that cyber-risk education and connected institutions can contribute significantly to the national economy by producing more jobs and greater innovation. It concluded that cyber-investment in human resources, i.e., prioritizing cybersecurity education earlier than most and regular assessment of cyber-risk literacy of children and youth at key points in their development and education, is an investment for the future and has been found to have led to a wealth of cyber-related innovation and economic growth among top-ranking countries. The UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Germany, France, and, recently, China, are also investing heavily in cybersecurity education. These countries recognize that cybersecurity education is essential to protecting the digital economy and both public and private digital infrastructure from cybercrimes and cyberattacks. As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the need for cybersecurity education will only grow. Digitalization will positively impact Filipinos’ lives but concomitant negative issues have emerged related to Internet use. Some of the most common cybersecurity crimes and offenses in the world today continue to emerge and develop, some of which President Marcos Jr. mentioned in his speech, such as identity theft, phishing and other online scams. Current statistics also show the vulnerability of Filipino children in the digital space. A recent study claimed the Philippines is a global hotspot for Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children or OSAEC. A sharp increase in possible OSAEC cases has been recorded by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from 1.34 million in 2020 to 3.19 million in 2021, the second highest in the world behind India. In 2018, the Department of Justice Office of Cybercrime received 579,006 cyber tips on the online sharing, re-sharing, and selling of child sexual abuse images and videos. According to the study, sexual exploitation negatively impacts cognitive functioning, as well as mental health, including post-traumatic stress disorder and depression; and across the life course, it can negatively impact the physical, psychological, social, educative and economic well-being of children victims. The foregoing examples are just among the many important reasons to introduce cybersecurity education in the K-12 system. We must educate users of technology, especially children, on the potential risks they face when using internet communication tools, such as social media, chat, online gaming, email and instant messaging, to cultivate cybersecurity awareness at the primary school level. Verily, investing in cybersecurity awareness among the young population will have several positive impacts on the Philippine economy and quality of life. The post Cyber education, a must appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australian man charged with sex crimes against 91 young girls
An Australian former childcare worker sexually abused 91 young girls in a "chilling" spate of crimes across 15 years, police said Tuesday after charging him with 1,623 separate offenses, including rape. Seasoned detectives have described it as one of Australia's "most horrific" child sex abuse cases, with a scale of offenses "beyond the realms of anyone's imagination". "I know this news will seem unfathomable, and I know there will be many questions," said Assistant Federal Police Commissioner Justine Gough. "There is not much solace I can give to the parents and children who have been identified," she added. Included within the 1,623 charges are 136 counts of rape, 110 counts of sexual intercourse with a child younger than 10 -- a charge used instead of rape in some Australian jurisdictions -- and 613 counts of making child pornography. Investigators have been hunting for the 45-year-old man since discovering a cache of child pornography photos and videos being shared on the dark web in 2014. But their efforts had been mostly fruitless until they made an unexpected breakthrough in August last year -- matching visual clues in the background of the material to a childcare center in the city of Brisbane. While the man was initially charged with just three offenses, Gough said the gravity of his "heinous" alleged crimes emerged as police sifted further through his computer and phone. Police believe the man filmed or took pictures of "all" his alleged crimes -- and eventually cataloged more than 4,000 photos and videos of abuse. New South Wales Assistant Police Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said it was one of the most horrific cases he had ever seen. "It's beyond the realms of anyone's imagination what this person did to these children," he said. "I can only say, you try not to be shocked after a long period of time in the police, but this is a horrific case." Young girls targeted Police said the abuse happened at 10 different childcare centers between 2007 and 2022 and exclusively targeted "prepubescent girls" -- some as young as one year old. While 87 of the 91 victims were from the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales, police believed four other unidentified children were abused while the man worked overseas for a brief spell between 2013 and 2014. Police said they were now working with international crime agencies to find those children, without revealing which country they were targeting. "We have been working tirelessly since August last year to identify the children in the alleged child abuse material," Gough said. Police said the man had passed the stringent series of background checks needed to work at childcare centers in the states of Queensland and New South Wales. Queensland's Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Col Briggs said detectives had first been tipped off in 2021, but had been hamstrung by a lack of evidence. "There was insufficient evidence to take action against any person based on evidence available at the time," he said. Given the sheer volume of child abuse material that needed to be documented, a dedicated task force of about 35 staff was called in to work on the investigation. The man, who has not been named by police, is scheduled to face court in Queensland on August 21. Once those proceedings are finished, he will be extradited to New South Wales to face further charges. The post Australian man charged with sex crimes against 91 young girls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sydney’s former HIV epicenter close to ending transmission: research
The Inner Sydney district, once the epicenter of Australia's HIV epidemic, is very close to becoming the first place in the world to reach the UN's target for ending transmission of the virus, researchers said on Monday. UNAIDS has set a goal of ending AIDS as a global health threat by 2030, which includes reducing the number of new HIV cases by 90 percent compared to 2010. In inner Sydney, new infections among gay men dropped by 88 percent from 2010 to 2022, researchers announced at the International AIDS Society's HIV science conference being held in the Australian city of Brisbane. Andrew Grulich, an epidemiologist at the University of New South Wales who presented the research, told AFP that "we're very nearly there" some eight years ahead of the 2030 target. Just 11 new HIV cases were recorded in inner Sydney last year, "an extraordinarily small number of infections for what was the heart of the Australian HIV epidemic," Grulich said. Gay men make up an estimated 20 percent of the male population in inner Sydney, and they represent the large majority of the city's HIV cases. Grulich said that several areas in the UK and Western Europe have also seen rapid drops in new HIV cases. But "I don't think anywhere has gotten close to 90 percent," he added. Since Sydney has "virtually" already reached the target, that shows that it is a feasible goal, he said. - Community was 'completely devastated' - However, Grulich emphasized that this does not mean that HIV is close to being eliminated in the city of more than 5.2 million people. "HIV can only be eliminated if we have a vaccine and a cure," he said. And the drop in new HIV cases was far less precipitous in other parts of Sydney. In the city's outer suburbs, new cases have only fallen by 31 percent since 2010, the researchers found. This disparity was due to a much rate higher of HIV testing and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) -- which reduces the risk of transmitting HIV during sex -- in the inner city, Grulich said. He said another cause for progress was that around 95 percent of HIV-positive people in Australia are now on antiretroviral treatment, which suppresses the level of the virus in the blood. Another study announced at the AIDS conference, which was published in The Lancet journal, said that people on antiretrovirals who have low but detectible levels of HIV have almost zero risk of sexually transmitting the virus to others. The Sydney research, which has not been peer-reviewed, was based on data from the New South Wales health department as well as annual surveys taken by gay men about their use of antiretrovirals, PrEP and testing. Grulich said the progress in inner Sydney was particularly significant because "this was a community that was completely devastated in the 80s and 90s -- a few thousand men died in these areas". dl/pvh The post Sydney’s former HIV epicenter close to ending transmission: research appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (19)
In drafting the Baselines Law, which he helped craft as a member of the House of Representatives, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said in a Daily Tribune article that a new concept was introduced in which sea lanes were recognized inside the country’s boundary. He indicated that the idea had been realized and was now enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Philippines used to be considered an archipelagic state. Under the old definition, it was not clear where foreign ships could have passage. “The definition of the sea lanes is important since we determine where the country can provide security. That is our waters, you will pay for the services. It is similar to the arrangement that Singapore has with ships going to the Malacca Straits,” Marcos said. Within the archipelago, between the islands of the Philippines, there are no overlapping claims. The West Philippine Sea dispute will still have to be resolved. “We still have to talk to China. We still have to find ways to resolve the diplomatic difficulties that we are now having with China,” Marcos noted. He added that the countries in the sea dispute will have to come to a consensus, come to an agreement, and continue to negotiate. “It is not an easy process, but the Malampaya fields are the natural gas fields that lie in our baselines and within our exclusive economic zone. And that, again, is being questioned in certain cases, in certain areas, by China. And we continue to negotiate with them. We continue to find a way,” Marcos said. He simplified the problem down to its essentials. “The roadblock to that whole process has been very simple. China claims certain areas of the sea.” “The nine-dash line, it covers just about the entire West Philippine Sea. We, on the other hand, have established our baselines, which have been recognized and accredited by UNCLOS,” he stressed. “And therefore, there is a conflict. And so what happens now, especially when it comes to exploration for energy, for our energy needs, which law will apply? Because we say this is part of Philippine territory. And, therefore, Philippine law should apply. The Chinese say no, it is part of our territory. Therefore, Chinese local law should apply.” Marcos indicated that however slow it might be, claimant countries are inching toward a resolution. He predicts the resolution may have to come down to a compromise that “will just limit the application of laws, maybe to the vessels that are involved in the exploration or exploitation of whatever natural gas fields we can access.” Marcos said that “To reach a resolution, we must be constant. We must be transparent. And we must be accountable for all that we do. And I cannot see any other way to handle the problem other than that.” Just having the tensions increase in the region already affects trade, on all of the exchanges within ASEAN, within the region, with China, with the United States, and now with the aggrupation that is being formed, with Australia, with Japan, with South Korea. (To be continued) The post Tribune, Marcos share good gov’t journey (19) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
OFW assistance now with DMW
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced that the Department of Migrant Workers will take over the Assistance to Nationals functions for overseas Filipino workers starting the first of July. According to the DFA, the turnover of the ATN is in compliance with Republic Act 11641, which paved the way for the creation of the newly created department. “Under the said law, all assistance cases involving OFWs, including legal or medical assistance, repatriation, and shipment of remains shall now be handled by the DMW through the use of its AKSYON Fund, except in countries where there are no resident Migrant Workers Offices under the DMW,” the agency said. To ensure uninterrupted service, the public is requested to refer to the DMW all requests for assistance involving OFWs (whether documented or undocumented) situated in the following countries/territories with resident MWOs: Asia-Pacific: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, China (including Hong Kong, Macau), Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore. Middle East and Northern Africa: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates. Europe: Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom. Americas: Canada, United States of America. OFWs from the mentioned territories who need assistance may personally, or through their relatives contact the DMW through the following hotline numbers: 87221144 or 87221155 87221155; or email addresses: repat@dmw.gov.ph, connect@dmw.gov.ph or cacdac@dmw.gov.ph. The DFA said assistance for OFWs in territories that were not part of the list will still be processed by the agency. Likewise, the agency noted that it would also continue to assist all other Filipinos worldwide who are not OFWs, including students, tourists, and dual and permanent residents. Meanwhile, the public can reach the DFA through its hotline: 88344996, email address: oumwa@dfa.gov.ph, or Facebook: htps://www.facebook.com/OFWHelpPH. The post OFW assistance now with DMW appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
BOC issues guidelines to qualify for tariff rates under RCEP
The Bureau of Customs has issued guidelines for businesses that want to import or export goods under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement. The guidelines, which were issued in Customs Memorandum Order No. 12-2023, outline the conditions for obtaining preferential tariff treatment under the RCEP. In a statement over the weekend, BOC said the CMO 12-2023, signed by Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio, took effect last 2 June. The memorandum outlined specific procedures that must be followed for the issuance and acceptance of the so-called “certificate of origin.” To qualify for the RCEP tariff rates, importers must obtain this certification along with a declaration of origin from exporters who have been authorized by the Philippines, as specified by the BOC. The BOC has tasked its Export Coordination Division to scrutinize all submitted certificates of origin and applications for Approved Exporter status. “ECD shall carry out verifications of the originating status of the goods upon request of the RCEP importing party or based on risk analysis criteria. Verification can be made based on documents requested from the exporter or producer or by inspections at the exporter’s or producer's premises,” the CMO read. The bureau, however, clarified that the final determination on the rate of duty shall be based on the assessment of the submitted documents from the importers. On the other hand, exporters are required to submit an application with the ECD for the issuance of a certification of origin for RCEP. The application should include the necessary supporting documents, such as an export declaration, commercial invoice, bill of landing/airway bill, and other relevant permits. “In cases where the RCEP preferential tariff rate is higher than the applied rate at the time of importation, the importer shall be allowed to apply for a refund of any excess duties and taxes paid for originating goods,” BOC said. The RCEP agreement has been implemented among all its member nations, consisting of China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia, and 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, which include the Philippines. The post BOC issues guidelines to qualify for tariff rates under RCEP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges
China has sentenced a 78-year-old US citizen to life in prison for espionage, a court said Monday, but revealed few details about the previously unreported case. Such heavy terms are relatively rare for foreign citizens in China, and the jailing of American passport holder John Shing-wan Leung is likely to further strain already-damaged ties between Beijing and Washington. Leung, who is also a Hong Kong permanent resident, "was found guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life", said a statement from the Intermediate People's Court in the eastern Chinese city of Suzhou. Suzhou authorities "took compulsory measures according to the law" against Leung in April 2021, it said, without specifying when he had been taken into custody. It was unclear where Leung had been living at the time of his arrest. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Beijing said they were aware of reports that a US citizen had been recently convicted and sentenced in Suzhou. "The Department of State has no greater priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas," the spokesperson said. "Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment." The court statement provided no further details on the charges, and closed-door trials are routine in China for sensitive cases. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin declined to comment further on the case at a regular press briefing on Monday. In Hong Kong, security minister Chris Tang told a news conference Monday the city's authorities were notified of Leung's arrest in 2021. "The Hong Kong police have carried out follow-up action according to the notification," Tang said, refusing to elaborate further. Rights activist jailed The jailing is likely to further damage relations with Washington, which are already severely strained over issues such as trade, human rights and Taiwan. Washington and Beijing have just ended an unofficial pause in high-level contacts over the United States' shooting down in February of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi held eight hours of talks in Vienna in an apparent breakthrough last week, with both sides describing the meeting as "candid, substantive and constructive". On Friday, Washington issued a statement condemning the reported sentencing of a Chinese human rights activist for "inciting subversion of state power". Guo Feixiong, also known as Yang Maodong, was jailed for eight years, according to rights groups. There has been no official confirmation of the sentencing from China. The US State Department said in its statement its diplomats had been barred from attending the trial in southern China. "We urge the PRC to live up to its international commitments, give its citizens due process, respect their human rights and fundamental freedoms including freedom of speech, and end the use of arbitrary detentions and exit bans," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday the country's "judicial authorities act in accordance with the law, and their actions brook no interference". US President Joe Biden is due to head to Hiroshima for a meeting of leaders of the G7 group of major developed economies. The G7's relationship with China is expected to be high on the agenda at the May 19-21 summit. Other high-profile espionage cases in recent years include the arrest in 2019 of Chinese-born Australian writer Yang Jun. Australia called last week for another of its nationals, jailed journalist Cheng Lei, to be reunited with her family after 1,000 days in detention over "supplying state secrets overseas". In April, authorities formally charged a prominent Chinese journalist with spying, more than a year after he was detained while having lunch at a Beijing restaurant with a Japanese diplomat, a media rights group said. Revised anti-espionage law Also in April, China approved an amendment to its anti-espionage law, broadening its scope by widening the definition of spying and banning the transfer of any data related to what the authorities define as national security. The changes to the law will come into force on July 1. "Chinese authorities have long had an essentially free hand in addressing national security concerns," Chinese law expert Jeremy Daum wrote. "The laws involved are sometimes amorphous and vague, leading to selective, or even arbitrary, enforcement," he said, adding that the definition of "espionage" was already so broad "it isn't immediately clear what the impact of the expanded definition will be". The post China jails US citizen for life on espionage charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pacific solar eclipse dazzles stargazers
Professional astronomers and amateur cosmologists across the southern Pacific donned protective glasses Thursday to witness a solar eclipse as the moon blocked out the sun for about a minute, in some cases totally. Parts of Australia, Indonesia and East Timor were plunged into daytime darkness, delighting curious onlookers. On Australia’s northwest tip, the eclipse was total. In the town of Exmouth, stargazers parked their caravans, pitched telescopes and donned protective glasses to watch the moon seemingly creep across the sun’s surface before the totality hit at 11:29:48 local time. At Com Beach on the eastern tip of East Timor, more than a thousand people, including tourists and astronomers from Southeast Asian countries, gathered to witness the one-minute total eclipse. The post Pacific solar eclipse dazzles stargazers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl extends travel restrictions on 32 countries
The Philippine government on Friday extended travel restrictions on 32 countries with reported cases of the new COVID-19 variant until 31 January. It means that foreigners from the said countries are barred from entering the Philippines until the end of the month. Covered by the travel restrictions are the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Australia, […] The post Phl extends travel restrictions on 32 countries appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Brisbane lifts virus lockdown after city finds zero cases
Australia's third-largest city lifted stay-at-home orders Monday, after mass testing and tracing across Brisbane found no new coronavirus cases despite fears over a contagious strain entering the community......»»
World Roundup: Virus hotspot& nbsp;in Australia
Austalian officials declared Sydney’s northern beaches a coronavirus hotspot Friday as a cluster of cases grew to 28 and triggered a return of domestic travel restrictions......»»
National donut : Australia records zero new community COVID cases
Australia reported zero new locally transmitted coronavirus cases Sunday, the country's health minister announced, sparking celebrations online of the first "national donut" since June......»»
Australia s second-wave epicentre records zero new virus cases
Australian health officials on Monday reported no new coronavirus cases or deaths in Victoria state, which has spent months under onerous restrictions after becoming the epicentre of the country's second wave......»»
Europe surges past 250,000 virus deaths
Europe passed the milestone of 250,000 deaths from Covid-19 on Sunday as Israel and Australia’s second-largest city of Melbourne began to gradually ease their strict lockdowns. European nations have ratcheted up restrictions on daily life to tackle soaring infections, with a 44 percent increase in cases this week. Nighttime curfews on millions came into force […] The post Europe surges past 250,000 virus deaths appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australia extends Melbourne lockdown despite drop in cases
Australian officials on Sunday extended a strict virus lockdown of the country's second-biggest city by two weeks, saying new cases had not dropped enough to prevent another spike......»»
Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1030 GMT, Aug. 18
CANBERRA -- Australia's State of Victoria has recorded its fewest number of new coronavirus cases in a month. As of Tuesday afternoon there had been 23,773 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Aus.....»»
Australian city begins curfew as global virus cases top 18 million
Australia's second-largest city started a six-week curfew and the Philippine capital was ordered back into lockdown, as the number of global coronavirus cases on Monday topped 18 million......»»