Tag Archives: Australia

Australia’s Seven News reports: Rafael Nadal has urged Novak Djokovic to accept the consequences if he continues to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine, saying “the world has been suffering enough to not follow the rules”. “I think if he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. He went through another – he made his own decisions, and …

The Washington Post reports: Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, had his visa canceled, per the Australian Border Force, after being detained for hours in the Melbourne airport upon landing in the country late Wednesday night. Tournament and state officials announced Tuesday that Djokovic had been granted a medical exemption from getting vaccinated against the coronavirus so that …

CBS Sports reports: Novak Djokovic has reportedly been denied entry into Australia ahead of the Australian Open. This comes after the tennis star was granted a medical exemption from tournament organizers to compete in the event, even though he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. All players and staff at the tournament must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have an exemption …

The Guardian reports: Leaders of a group of protesters who set fire to the facade of Old Parliament House in Canberra are closely linked to a complex network of anti-vaccination and conspiracy groups which have been accused of spreading misinformation in Indigenous communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The fire, which broke out during a protest at the entrance to the …

The Metro reports: A man set himself on fire in a car in an apparent anti-vaccine protest on a busy street in Melbourne. Video showed a silver hatchback fully in flames near Church Street in the suburb of Richmond at around 8pm on New Year’s Day, while diners at nearby restaurants reported hearing “screams.” Lydia O’Connor told The Herald Sun …

Reuters reports: Australians bade farewell to 2021 with a traditional fireworks display over Sydney harbour as good news from South Africa – the first country to pronounce itself past its Omicron wave – brought hope for a joyous New Year. Thanks to Omicron, the New Year began its annual roll from East to West quietly – with no official firework …

Yahoo Sports reports: Australia’s federal government has confirmed that it’s set to follow the USA’s lead by joining a diplomatic boycott of next year’s Beijing Winter Olympic Games. The move comes after China issued a stern warning to America that it would “pay the price” for the decision not to send any government officials to Winter Games Beijing, in protest …

The Associated Press reports: The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus on Sunday and Australia found two as the countries half a world apart became the latest to detect it in travelers arriving from southern Africa. The Dutch public health authority confirmed that 13 people who arrived from South Africa Friday have so far …

Agence France-Presse reports: On Saturday Tennis Australia made it official that unvaccinated players will not be allowed to compete in January’s grand slam, posing some awkward questions for Novak Djokovic. The Serbian is a noted anti-vaxxer and is yet to reveal publicly whether he is vaccinated against Covid-19. Asked about the Australian Open’s vaccine mandate, Djokovic said: “We’ll see. We’ll …

The BBC reports: French President Emmanuel Macron has said Australia’s PM Scott Morrison lied to him about a scrapped submarine deal. Asked whether he thinks Mr Morrison was untruthful, the president replied: “I don’t think, I know.” Mr Macron was furious after Australia cancelled a $37bn (£27bn) deal to build 12 submarines, and instead negotiated a new defence pact with …

The Guardian reports: A-League midfielder Josh Cavallo says he knows there are other players “living in silence” after becoming the only known current male top-flight professional footballer in the world to come out as gay. Cavallo on Wednesday became a rarity in men’s professional sport, announcing on social media he was “ready to speak about something personal that I’m finally …

Australia’s News Corp outlet reports: A conservative US commentator has suggested America should “invade” to liberate Australians from “tyrannical” Covid-19 restrictions, likening the country to the early stages of a dictatorship under Hitler or Stalin. Daily Wire host Candace Owens made the provocative comments in her Tuesday show, saying that her husband has family members in Australia, one of whom …

The Associated Press reports: Sydney hairdressers, gyms, cafés and bars reopened to fully vaccinated customers on Monday for the first time in more than 100 days after Australia’s largest city achieved a vaccination benchmark. Sydney planned to reopen on the Monday after 70% of the New South Wales state population aged 16 and older were fully vaccinated. By Monday, 73.5% …

The BBC reports: Australia will reopen its international border from November, giving long-awaited freedoms to vaccinated citizens and their relatives. Since March 2020, Australia has had some of the world’s strictest border rules – even banning its own people from leaving the country. The policy has been praised for helping to suppress Covid, but it has also controversially separated families. …

Agence France-Presse reports: France’s Naval Group said Wednesday it will send a “detailed and calculated proposal” to Australia in the coming weeks of the costs it expects Canberra to pay for scrapping a massive contract to purchase French submarines. Australia in 2016 agreed to buy 12 diesel-powered submarines built by Naval Group in a deal dubbed the “contract of the …

CNN reports: The French government has immediately recalled its ambassador to the US for consultation in response to the recently announced national security partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia. Philippe Étienne, the French ambassador to the US, confirmed the news when reached for comment. In a statement, Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, said …

The Guardian reports: Lachlan Murdoch has been invited to appear before a reconvened Senate inquiry into YouTube’s temporary ban on Sky News Australia for uploading videos in breach of the platform’s Covid misinformation policy. If the co-chairman of News Corp accepts he will appear alongside his Sky News Australia presenters Alan Jones, Rita Panahi and Rowan Dean who have already …

Reuters reports: Australian police clashed with hundreds of anti-lockdown protesters in Melbourne and Sydney on Saturday as officials reported the country’s highest ever single-day rise in Covid-19 cases. Mounted police used pepper spray in Melbourne to break up crowds surging toward police lines, while smaller groups of protesters were prevented from congregating in Sydney by a large contingent of riot …

Reuters reports: Australian police hiked fines for people breaking lockdown rules in Sydney and the rest of its home state on Saturday and strict stay-at-home orders were extended statewide amid a record jump in daily new Covid-19 infections. State police will fine up to A$5,000 ($3,700) anyone breaching stay-at-home orders or for lying to contract-tracing officials, said state Premier Gladys …

Reuters reports: Extra Australian military personnel may be called in to ensure compliance with lockdown rules in Sydney, the New South Wales state government said on Thursday, as the highly infectious delta coronavirus variant spreads into regional areas. The move comes as Australia’s capital, Canberra, 260 km (160 miles) southwest of Sydney, announced a snap one-week lockdown from Thursday evening …