Australia
Australian swimmer McCardel breaks record with 44th Channel swim
Chloe McCardel, 36, made the swim for the 44th time, breaking the previous record of 43 she had held jointly with British swimmer Alison Streeter.
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Australian megachurch founder denies child sex abuse cover-up
Hillsong Church pastor Brian Houston, a prominent Australian religious figure with ties to the country's conservative prime minister, is accused of failing to report the abuse of a young boy after learning of the claims in 1999.
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CNN blocks access to its Facebook page in Australia
On Thursday, Australian users trying to navigate to CNN's Facebook page received a message that the content was restricted.
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Ex-Australia PM says successor 'deceitful' on nuclear subs
Former Australian leader Malcolm Turnbull, whose government approved the submarine deal with France in 2016, was scathing about the way Prime Minister Scott Morrison handled the switch
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Sydney gets 'blueprint for freedom' as virus cases fall
Shuttered pubs, restaurants and shops will be allowed to reopen to the vaccinated while friends and families living across Australia's biggest city will be able to reunite for the first time in more than three months.
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Macron, Biden agree to soothe tensions after submarine row
In the first concrete sign of a slackening of tensions, Macron agreed to send France's ambassador back to Washington next week after he was recalled to Paris in an unprecedented diplomatic protest.
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Melbourne shuts construction sites after violent anti-vax protest
Sites will be closed for two weeks, in what authorities described as a response to 'widespread non-compliance' with COVID-19 regulations and violent protests.
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France lambasts Australia, US after 'stab in back' on subs
'It's really a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia, this trust has been betrayed,' Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told France Info radio.
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Sydney lifts COVID curfews as case numbers stabilise
Almost three months after activity in Australia's largest city was frozen by lockdown orders, state authorities announced easing restrictions for the worst-hit areas.
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Virus lockdown extended for Australia's capital
About 400,000 Canberra residents have been under stay-at-home orders since August 12, when a single case of COVID-19 was detected.
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Australian woman charged over fake coup plot
The Australian woman, who was not named, has been charged with impersonating a police officer and helping secure a shipment of over 400 fake federal police badges from an overseas manufacturer.
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Australia's Qantas to make vaccines mandatory for staff
The national carrier is one of the first major Australian firms to mandate vaccines for employees, saying the rule would also apply to its budget offshoot Jetstar.
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Australia's capital Canberra to enter virus lockdown
Australia's capital Canberra was ordered into a seven-day lockdown Thursday after a single COVID-19 case was detected in the city that has largely avoided virus restrictions.
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Struggling Sydney warned to brace for higher COVID numbers
For a second straight day, New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian said Australia's most populous state hit a new peak with 291 cases detected.
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COVID cases top 200 million worldwide as Melbourne locks down
The United States remains the country with the highest number of deaths and infections, however it said that it plans eventually to begin allowing fully vaccinated foreigners back in.
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Melbourne back in lockdown as Sydney sees record COVID tally
Victoria premier Dan Andrews said he had 'no choice' but to make the 'very difficult announcement' to lock down Melbourne and the rest of the virus-weary state little more than a week after the last lockdown ended.
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Troops to enforce Sydney lockdown as Brisbane extends virus curbs
About 300 Australian Defence Force personnel will be deployed in Sydney after New South Wales state police requested military help to enforce COVID-19 rules.
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Sydney lockdown extended by four weeks as virus outbreak grows
People living in hotspots have been urged not to leave their neighbourhoods, but those living alone will be allowed to create a "singles bubble" with another person. Berejiklian said police would step up compliance efforts, while imploring Sydneysiders to report others breaking the rules.
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New Zealand border closure puts Rugby Championship in doubt
New Zealand has suspended its quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia for at least eight weeks on Friday in response to the latter's escalating coronavirus outbreak.
