The Australian city of Sydney - famous for its New Year countdown each year will welcome 2021 silently, as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the region. Sydney is one of the world's first major cities to welcome a new year, but with a ban on large gatherings in place - only mellow gatherings are allowed.

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After COVID-19 cases surged again starting mid-December, about a quarter-million people have been ordered to stay indoors till January 9. New year fireworks in Sydney are famous around the world, with the Opera House witnessing hordes of tourists every year.

Over the last few weeks, the number of cases in the beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases, after five new cases were recorded on Monday.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-long-covid-symptoms-may-include-stench-of-fish-and-burning-352863" hreflang="en">New 'long COVID' symptoms may include stench of fish and burning</a>

Earlier, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian had banned people from coming into Sydney's downtown area, with outdoor gatherings limited to 50 people.

"We don't want to create any super-spreading events on New Year's Eve, which then ruins it for everybody across the state moving forward," Berejiklian said during a news conference.

Berejiklian added that the safest way to watch the fireworks was from home.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/history-tells-us-this-wont-be-last-pandemic-says-who-chief-on-coronavirus-352865" hreflang="en">History tells us this won't be last pandemic, says WHO chief on coronavirus</a> 
 
"On New Year's Eve we don't want any crowds on the foreshore around Sydney whatsoever," she said.

Residents possessing permits for hospitality venues will be allowed to come on New Year's Eve, with households across Sydney being allowed to host 10 people. 
 
15 notices in Sydney have been commissioned so far by NSW police for breaking public health orders since December 24.

"I would say to those people half contemplating doing anything stupid in the next few days, forget it," New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

The Australian city of Sydney - famous for its New Year countdown each year will welcome 2021 silently, as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the region.

The Australian city of Sydney - famous for its New Year countdown each year will welcome 2021 silently, as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the region. Sydney is one of the world's first major cities to welcome a new year, but with a ban on large gatherings in place - only mellow gatherings are allowed. After COVID-19 cases surged again starting mid-December, about a quarter-million people have been ordered to stay indoors till January 9. New year fireworks in Sydney are famous around the world, with the Opera House witnessing hordes of tourists every year. Over the last few weeks, the number of cases in the beach suburbs has grown to 125 cases, after five new cases were recorded on Monday. Also read: New 'long COVID' symptoms may include stench of fish and burning Earlier, New South Wales (NSW) Premier Gladys Berejiklian had banned people from coming into Sydney's downtown area, with outdoor gatherings limited to 50 people. "We don't want to create any super-spreading events on New Year's Eve, which then ruins it for everybody across the state moving forward," Berejiklian said during a news conference. Berejiklian added that the safest way to watch the fireworks was from home. Also read: History tells us this won't be last pandemic, says WHO chief on coronavirus "On New Year's Eve we don't want any crowds on the foreshore around Sydney whatsoever," she said. Residents possessing permits for hospitality venues will be allowed to come on New Year's Eve, with households across Sydney being allowed to host 10 people. 15 notices in Sydney have been commissioned so far by NSW police for breaking public health orders since December 24. "I would say to those people half contemplating doing anything stupid in the next few days, forget it," New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

Sydney to welcome 2021 with its signature fireworks, but no people

The population of masked owls is declining in Australia. A conservationists are trying to save masked owls. Watch this video to know more.

Australia: Conservationists discover masked owls in Margaret River

Facebook has banned Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans for repeatedly spreading misinformation about the novel coronavirus.

Facebook said Thursday it would not "allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm" or falsehoods about Covid-19 vaccines.&nbsp;

"We have clear policies against this type of content and we've removed Chef Pete Evans' Facebook Page for repeated violations of these policies," the company said in a statement.&nbsp;

Evans said on Instagram Thursday that he was glad to be "one of the catalysts for a conversation" about freedom of speech and described the science around the pandemic as "BS".

The former chef's page on Instagram -- a Facebook-owned platform -- with 278,000 followers is still active, however, and includes posts that encourage Sydney residents to defy public health officials and refuse to get tested for the virus.&nbsp;

Facebook has previously banned some high profile accounts that peddled misinformation and hate speech, most notably those of conspiracist Alex Jones and far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos.

Evans was previously known for promoting pseudoscientific dieting ideas -- often linked to his own commercial enterprises -- such as the palaeolithic diet, earning him the nickname "Paleo" Pete.

Several companies recently ditched Evans and his books were pulled from the shelves after he posted a "black sun" Nazi symbol on social media.

Australia's largest city is currently battling to contain a cluster of more 100 cases that ended months of low community transmission.&nbsp;

Facebook has banned Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans for repeatedly spreading misinformation about the novel coronavirus. Facebook said Thursday it would not "allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm" or falsehoods about Covid-19 vaccines.

Facebook has banned Australian celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist Pete Evans for repeatedly spreading misinformation about the novel coronavirus. Facebook said Thursday it would not "allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm" or falsehoods about Covid-19 vaccines. "We have clear policies against this type of content and we've removed Chef Pete Evans' Facebook Page for repeated violations of these policies," the company said in a statement. Evans said on Instagram Thursday that he was glad to be "one of the catalysts for a conversation" about freedom of speech and described the science around the pandemic as "BS". The former chef's page on Instagram -- a Facebook-owned platform -- with 278,000 followers is still active, however, and includes posts that encourage Sydney residents to defy public health officials and refuse to get tested for the virus. Facebook has previously banned some high profile accounts that peddled misinformation and hate speech, most notably those of conspiracist Alex Jones and far-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos. Evans was previously known for promoting pseudoscientific dieting ideas -- often linked to his own commercial enterprises -- such as the palaeolithic diet, earning him the nickname "Paleo" Pete. Several companies recently ditched Evans and his books were pulled from the shelves after he posted a "black sun" Nazi symbol on social media. Australia's largest city is currently battling to contain a cluster of more 100 cases that ended months of low community transmission.

Facebook bans Australian celebrity chef over misinformation about coronavirus

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically. So its perhaps fitting that scientists would identify a giant crocodile or something there. This is exactly what has happened.

A new species of a crocodile, informally called the 'Swamp King' has been identified by the scientists in Australia. The crocodile lived in prehistoric times, about 5.33 and 2.58 million years ago.

The croc was&nbsp;more than 16 feet (five metres) long and was one of the top predators in Australia, as per press release from University of Queensland.

The creature has been named Paludirex vincenti. Paludirex means swamp kingt in Latin while 'vincenti' honours Geoff Vincent, who first found the fossiled skull of the crocodile.

Just to get a sense of how scary this crocodile was, it should be mentioned that it had more heavy-set skull than largest living crocodile today. This may also translate to greater bite force.

As per the university, Paludirex vincenti was one of top predators in Australia and was able to eat giant prehistoric marsupials.

However, the reason why this crocodile went extinct is not yet known.

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically.

Australia is land of creatures that may not always be as sweet lookimg as Kangaroos. Videos of scary spiders living inside Aussie houses do rounds on social media periodically. So its perhaps fitting that scientists would identify a giant crocodile or something there. This is exactly what has happened. A new species of a crocodile, informally called the 'Swamp King' has been identified by the scientists in Australia. The crocodile lived in prehistoric times, about 5.33 and 2.58 million years ago. The croc was more than 16 feet (five metres) long and was one of the top predators in Australia, as per press release from University of Queensland. The creature has been named Paludirex vincenti. Paludirex means swamp kingt in Latin while 'vincenti' honours Geoff Vincent, who first found the fossiled skull of the crocodile. Just to get a sense of how scary this crocodile was, it should be mentioned that it had more heavy-set skull than largest living crocodile today. This may also translate to greater bite force. As per the university, Paludirex vincenti was one of top predators in Australia and was able to eat giant prehistoric marsupials. However, the reason why this crocodile went extinct is not yet known.

'Swamp King' croc identified in Australia

Australia confirmed on Monday it has detected two cases of a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain that has forced Britain to reverse plans to ease curbs over Christmas, the first confirmed cases of the strain in the Asia-Pacific region.

Stricter travel restrictions imposed in Australia

Australia`s most populous state of New South Wales (NSW) on Monday reported 15 new local COVID-19 cases compared with 30 a day earlier and warned that more venues could be added to a list of virus-exposed locations.

Australia: New South Wales reports 15 new local COVID-19 cases

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off.

CNN reported that Rosy Loomba, 38, was with her husband and child when she fell to her death at the Grampians National Park, in the Australian state of Victoria.

The family was at Boroka Lookout, where a cliff is situated. It offers a panoramic view of the mountains and the town below, and is common among tourists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-battles-virus-as-lockdown-in-sydney-torments-residents-ahead-of-christmas-351018" hreflang="en">Australia battles virus as lockdown in Sydney torments residents ahead of Christmas</a>

According to local media reports, Loomba had climbed past safety barriers and warning signs. She was attempting to pose for a picture on a rock. It was then that she tripped over the edge, and fell down.&nbsp;

She fell from a height of 80 metres (262 feet), leading to her demise.

Many witnesses claimed that they heard Loomba screaming, but were unfortunately unable to help. When the police and state emergency services arrived, it took them six hours to retrieve her body from between the cliff.

When her body was being retrieved, all access to the cliff was blocked, but it was reopened soon after. The cliff is famous among people, and remains a popular photo spot.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/with-pakistan-in-focus-india-australia-call-for-sustainable-irreversible-action-on-terrorism-350673" hreflang="en">With Pakistan in focus, India, Australia call for sustainable, irreversible action on terrorism</a>

A local tour guide Graham Wood told Nine News that he had warned his customers against&nbsp; going too far out of the cliff just moments before the woman’s accident.

Soon after the incident, local authorities urged patrons to follow safety guidelines, while adding that no picture is worth a person’s life.

Police Minister Lisa Neville added that they simply “can’t rope off” all parts of Victoria, while urging people to take more responsibility.

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off.

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off. CNN reported that Rosy Loomba, 38, was with her husband and child when she fell to her death at the Grampians National Park, in the Australian state of Victoria. The family was at Boroka Lookout, where a cliff is situated. It offers a panoramic view of the mountains and the town below, and is common among tourists. Also read: Australia battles virus as lockdown in Sydney torments residents ahead of Christmas According to local media reports, Loomba had climbed past safety barriers and warning signs. She was attempting to pose for a picture on a rock. It was then that she tripped over the edge, and fell down. She fell from a height of 80 metres (262 feet), leading to her demise. Many witnesses claimed that they heard Loomba screaming, but were unfortunately unable to help. When the police and state emergency services arrived, it took them six hours to retrieve her body from between the cliff. When her body was being retrieved, all access to the cliff was blocked, but it was reopened soon after. The cliff is famous among people, and remains a popular photo spot. Also read: With Pakistan in focus, India, Australia call for sustainable, irreversible action on terrorism A local tour guide Graham Wood told Nine News that he had warned his customers against going too far out of the cliff just moments before the woman’s accident. Soon after the incident, local authorities urged patrons to follow safety guidelines, while adding that no picture is worth a person’s life. Police Minister Lisa Neville added that they simply “can’t rope off” all parts of Victoria, while urging people to take more responsibility.

Australian woman falls off cliff, dies while trying to take photo

When they’re hungry, they’ll let you know by coming up to you and looking beseechingly at you and the container of food.

If that doesn’t work, they’ll sniff and paw at your leg.

No, we’re not talking about dogs. We’re talking about kangaroos.

Researchers at the University of Roehampton in Britain and the University of Sydney in Australia say that such behavior led them to a startling discovery: Kangaroos can communicate with humans similar to the way dogs, horses and goats do despite never having been domesticated.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/will-ghost-sharks-vanish-before-scientists-can-study-them-350830" hreflang="en">Will ghost sharks vanish before scientists can study them?</a>

Kangaroos are the first wild animal to exhibit a behavior that is more commonly seen in domesticated species, communicating requests for help from a human, the researchers said. Up until now, researchers had hypothesized that this kind of interspecies communication had existed only in animals that had evolved alongside humans.

The study suggests a higher level of intelligence in the Australian marsupials than had been assumed.

The researchers said they hoped the results would persuade people — especially Australians — to treat kangaroos with more care. Although they’re on the country’s coat of arms and are considered something of a national treasure, they’re also seen as a nuisance and are culled annually because of their overabundance.

There were nearly 50 million kangaroos across Australia in 2017, double the human population, according to official estimates. Farmers complain that kangaroos eat pastures meant for livestock, while researchers worry they are a threat to endangered wildlife by destroying habitat and eating reptiles.

“There’s a part of the population that thinks they’re pests and dumb and want to shoot them,” said Alan McElligott, lead author of the paper. “I think if the broader public has a greater understanding of the cognitive abilities of an animal, it’s easier to sell the idea that we should treat them with the best possible care.”

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-dinosaur-with-hair-and-ribbons-leaves-researchers-intrigued-350066" hreflang="en">A dinosaur with 'hair' and 'ribbons' leaves researchers intrigued</a>

The researchers trained and tested 11 kangaroos from Australian zoos over eight days last year to get food out of a box. Then they locked the box, making it impossible for them to gain access to the food without help.

Initially, the kangaroos sniffed and scratched at the box. But once they realized they couldn’t open it, they turned their attention to McElligott, who was in the enclosure with them.

“The kangaroos looked up at me and they did this sort of gaze alternation — looking at the box, back at me, back at the box, back at me,” said McElligott, who formerly worked at the University of Roehampton and is now an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong.

“A few of the kangaroos approached me and started sniffing my knee and scratching my knee,” he added. “If it was a dog you’d call it pawing.”

Ten of the 11 kangaroos involved in the study actively looked at McElligott, and nine alternated between looking at him and the box containing the food.

“They were really trying to intentionally communicate their desire to get him to help get the food out of the box,” said Alexandra Green, an animal behavior and welfare researcher at the University of Sydney, who is the paper’s co-author.

Green says she believes that the kangaroo’s behavior is a modification of how they communicate with one another in the wild.

“They’re a social species and would use these cues among each other,” she said. “In a captive setting, where there’s humans present, they’re probably able to adapt this ability to communicate with humans.”

The kangaroos used in the study — which was published Wednesday in Biology Letters, a peer-reviewed, scientific journal published by the Royal Society — weren’t fully wild, since that would have been dangerous to the researchers. They had been raised in zoos and were familiar with humans, but were still considered undomesticated.

McElligott said that in a similar study done with wolves, another undomesticated animal, the wolves simply attacked the food boxes with their teeth instead of making any attempt to ask humans for help.

When they’re hungry, they’ll let you know by coming up to you and looking beseechingly at you and the container of food. If that doesn’t work, they’ll sniff and paw at your leg.

When they’re hungry, they’ll let you know by coming up to you and looking beseechingly at you and the container of food. If that doesn’t work, they’ll sniff and paw at your leg. No, we’re not talking about dogs. We’re talking about kangaroos. Researchers at the University of Roehampton in Britain and the University of Sydney in Australia say that such behavior led them to a startling discovery: Kangaroos can communicate with humans similar to the way dogs, horses and goats do despite never having been domesticated. Also read| Will ghost sharks vanish before scientists can study them? Kangaroos are the first wild animal to exhibit a behavior that is more commonly seen in domesticated species, communicating requests for help from a human, the researchers said. Up until now, researchers had hypothesized that this kind of interspecies communication had existed only in animals that had evolved alongside humans. The study suggests a higher level of intelligence in the Australian marsupials than had been assumed. The researchers said they hoped the results would persuade people — especially Australians — to treat kangaroos with more care. Although they’re on the country’s coat of arms and are considered something of a national treasure, they’re also seen as a nuisance and are culled annually because of their overabundance. There were nearly 50 million kangaroos across Australia in 2017, double the human population, according to official estimates. Farmers complain that kangaroos eat pastures meant for livestock, while researchers worry they are a threat to endangered wildlife by destroying habitat and eating reptiles. “There’s a part of the population that thinks they’re pests and dumb and want to shoot them,” said Alan McElligott, lead author of the paper. “I think if the broader public has a greater understanding of the cognitive abilities of an animal, it’s easier to sell the idea that we should treat them with the best possible care.” Also read| A dinosaur with 'hair' and 'ribbons' leaves researchers intrigued The researchers trained and tested 11 kangaroos from Australian zoos over eight days last year to get food out of a box. Then they locked the box, making it impossible for them to gain access to the food without help. Initially, the kangaroos sniffed and scratched at the box. But once they realized they couldn’t open it, they turned their attention to McElligott, who was in the enclosure with them. “The kangaroos looked up at me and they did this sort of gaze alternation — looking at the box, back at me, back at the box, back at me,” said McElligott, who formerly worked at the University of Roehampton and is now an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong. “A few of the kangaroos approached me and started sniffing my knee and scratching my knee,” he added. “If it was a dog you’d call it pawing.” Ten of the 11 kangaroos involved in the study actively looked at McElligott, and nine alternated between looking at him and the box containing the food. “They were really trying to intentionally communicate their desire to get him to help get the food out of the box,” said Alexandra Green, an animal behavior and welfare researcher at the University of Sydney, who is the paper’s co-author. Green says she believes that the kangaroo’s behavior is a modification of how they communicate with one another in the wild. “They’re a social species and would use these cues among each other,” she said. “In a captive setting, where there’s humans present, they’re probably able to adapt this ability to communicate with humans.” The kangaroos used in the study — which was published Wednesday in Biology Letters, a peer-reviewed, scientific journal published by the Royal Society — weren’t fully wild, since that would have been dangerous to the researchers. They had been raised in zoos and were familiar with humans, but were still considered undomesticated. McElligott said that in a similar study done with wolves, another undomesticated animal, the wolves simply attacked the food boxes with their teeth instead of making any attempt to ask humans for help.

‘A social species’: How kangaroos communicate with people

Australian police said Friday they were treating the murder of an elderly couple in their Brisbane home as a terrorism incident.

Police linked the murders to Raghe Mohamed Abdi, who had previously been investigated by counter-terrorism police, after he was shot dead in a confrontation with officers on a Brisbane highway Thursday morning.

The 22-year-old was shot after he threatened officers with a knife, police said.

That afternoon, police said they were called to a nearby address for a welfare check and discovered the bodies of an 87-year-old man and 86-year-old woman.

"Further examination of both that scene, and the scene of the police shooting yesterday, has uncovered for us what we believe to be a direct link between the two matters," Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said in a press conference Friday.

An item allegedly discovered on Abdi was believed to be taken from the deceased couple's home, while several items at the home were linked to the man, Linford added.

The combination of the Abdi's past, his alleged attempt to harm police and the link to the murder scene made it "pretty clear that we need to treat this as a terrorism event", she said.

The exact motivation of the killings remain unclear, Linford added.

Abdi had previously been detained after attempting to fly to Somalia in 2019 -- where police alleged he aimed to join a terrorist organisation -- and had removed a tracking device before Thursday's incident.

But his lawyer, speaking before the link to the murder investigation was made public, told national broadcaster ABC that the police were incorrect to connect him with terrorism and labelled yesterday's shooting as a "significant adverse mental health event".

"When he was going to Somalia to visit relatives, he was held for 18 hours and investigated as to whether he was going to Somalia as a foreign fighter," Terry O'Gorman said.

"There was no evidence to justify holding him and 18 months later, he has never been charged with that offence."

Abdi was never charged with terrorism offences and was instead on bail for other charges, police said. 
&nbsp;

Australian police said Friday they were treating the murder of an elderly couple in their Brisbane home as a terrorism incident. Police linked the murders to Raghe Mohamed Abdi, who had previously been investigated by counter-terrorism police, after he was shot dead in a confrontation with officers on a Brisbane highway Thursday morning.

Australian police said Friday they were treating the murder of an elderly couple in their Brisbane home as a terrorism incident. Police linked the murders to Raghe Mohamed Abdi, who had previously been investigated by counter-terrorism police, after he was shot dead in a confrontation with officers on a Brisbane highway Thursday morning. The 22-year-old was shot after he threatened officers with a knife, police said. That afternoon, police said they were called to a nearby address for a welfare check and discovered the bodies of an 87-year-old man and 86-year-old woman. "Further examination of both that scene, and the scene of the police shooting yesterday, has uncovered for us what we believe to be a direct link between the two matters," Queensland Police Deputy Commissioner Tracy Linford said in a press conference Friday. An item allegedly discovered on Abdi was believed to be taken from the deceased couple's home, while several items at the home were linked to the man, Linford added. The combination of the Abdi's past, his alleged attempt to harm police and the link to the murder scene made it "pretty clear that we need to treat this as a terrorism event", she said. The exact motivation of the killings remain unclear, Linford added. Abdi had previously been detained after attempting to fly to Somalia in 2019 -- where police alleged he aimed to join a terrorist organisation -- and had removed a tracking device before Thursday's incident. But his lawyer, speaking before the link to the murder investigation was made public, told national broadcaster ABC that the police were incorrect to connect him with terrorism and labelled yesterday's shooting as a "significant adverse mental health event". "When he was going to Somalia to visit relatives, he was held for 18 hours and investigated as to whether he was going to Somalia as a foreign fighter," Terry O'Gorman said. "There was no evidence to justify holding him and 18 months later, he has never been charged with that offence." Abdi was never charged with terrorism offences and was instead on bail for other charges, police said.

Australian counter-terrorism police probe Brisbane murders

Hosts Australia had a strong start with the ball on Day 2 after folding India for 244 after scalping four wickets for just 11 runs.&nbsp;

However, Indian bowlers put Virat and Co. on driver's seat during the second day after restricting the Aussies for 191 giving the visitors a lead of 53 runs. Warner's absence left a huge void in Australia's batting order which struggled to keep the scoreboard moving.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-marnus-labuschagnes-leaves-and-no-run-calls-leave-twitterati-in-splits-350775" hreflang="en">Watch: Marnus Labuschagne's 'leaves' and 'no run' calls leave Twitterati in splits</a>

The opening pair of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns were removed in quick succession by Jasprit Bumrah. At one stage, when Australia were at 87/5, the hosts were progressing at the run rate of 1.83, which was the slowest Test innings on home soil in the last 3 years.&nbsp;

In 2017, Australia progressed at the run rate of 2.11 against England at the MCG.&nbsp;

Twin blows from Bumrah, R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav helped India stay on top for the most of the day. Except for Marnus Labuschagne, all batsmen looked uncomfortable on the crease.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/netizens-troll-prithvi-shaw-for-poor-performance-with-bat-and-dropping-a-vital-catch-350765" hreflang="en">Netizens troll Prithvi Shaw for poor performance with bat and dropping a vital catch</a>

Labuschagne scored a gritty 47 off 119 deliveries to help Australia post 191 runs on board in the first innings. Along with Labuschagne, skipper Tim Paine looked solid with the willow as he scored an unbeaten 73.&nbsp;

India started with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal in the second innings but lost the former after Pat Cummins bowled the youngster for four. India sent Jasprit Bumrah at number 3 as a night watchman. Both Bumrah and Agarwal saw off the last few overs of the day as India ended at 9/1 with a lead of 62 runs.&nbsp;

Hosts Australia had a strong start with the ball on Day 2 after folding India for 244 after scalping four wickets for just 11 runs. However, Indian bowlers put Virat and Co.

Hosts Australia had a strong start with the ball on Day 2 after folding India for 244 after scalping four wickets for just 11 runs. However, Indian bowlers put Virat and Co. on driver's seat during the second day after restricting the Aussies for 191 giving the visitors a lead of 53 runs. Warner's absence left a huge void in Australia's batting order which struggled to keep the scoreboard moving. ALSO READ: Watch: Marnus Labuschagne's 'leaves' and 'no run' calls leave Twitterati in splits The opening pair of Matthew Wade and Joe Burns were removed in quick succession by Jasprit Bumrah. At one stage, when Australia were at 87/5, the hosts were progressing at the run rate of 1.83, which was the slowest Test innings on home soil in the last 3 years. In 2017, Australia progressed at the run rate of 2.11 against England at the MCG. Twin blows from Bumrah, R Ashwin and Umesh Yadav helped India stay on top for the most of the day. Except for Marnus Labuschagne, all batsmen looked uncomfortable on the crease. ALSO READ: Netizens troll Prithvi Shaw for poor performance with bat and dropping a vital catch Labuschagne scored a gritty 47 off 119 deliveries to help Australia post 191 runs on board in the first innings. Along with Labuschagne, skipper Tim Paine looked solid with the willow as he scored an unbeaten 73. India started with Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal in the second innings but lost the former after Pat Cummins bowled the youngster for four. India sent Jasprit Bumrah at number 3 as a night watchman. Both Bumrah and Agarwal saw off the last few overs of the day as India ended at 9/1 with a lead of 62 runs.

IND vs AUS 1st Test, Day 2: Australia displays slowest innings against India

An ombudsman report has said that lockdown announced by Australia's second most populous state violated human rights and was not based on health officials advice.&nbsp;

To contain the rise in the spread of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, the state of Victoria ordered the lockdown of nine public housing towers for many days in July.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australians-panic-buying-christmas-trees-in-2020-drone-footage-shows-anything-is-possible-348279/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Victoria's acting chief health officer was given only 15 minutes to consider and approve the measure, which includes the impact on human rights, Ombudsman Deborah Glass' report said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australian-mp-urges-donald-trump-to-pardon-julian-assange-before-leaving-white-house-349532">Australian MP urges Donald Trump to pardon Julian Assange before leaving White House</a>

"The rushed lockdown was not compatible with the residents' human rights, including their right to humane treatment when deprived of liberty..., the action appeared to be contrary to the law," Deborah was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

People residing in the eight towers were confined in their apartments for five days, but in the ninth tower, which had the most number of cases, there was a complete lockdown for two weeks.&nbsp;

The report said some residents were left without food and medicines, and several others waited for over a week to go outside.&nbsp;

The state government accepted that mistakes were committed, but insisted that the measures were necessary to ensure the safety of its people.&nbsp;

"We make no apology for saving people's lives, absolutely no apology for saving people's lives," Victoria state Housing Minister Richard Wynne told reporters.

Australia managed to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the bulk of the cases were reported from Victoria.&nbsp;

However, the state is able to control the surge and has not reported a single case in 48 consecutive days as of Thursday.&nbsp;

An ombudsman report has said that lockdown announced by Australia's second most populous state violated human rights and was not based on health officials advice.

An ombudsman report has said that lockdown announced by Australia's second most populous state violated human rights and was not based on health officials advice. To contain the rise in the spread of coronavirus, the state of Victoria ordered the lockdown of nine public housing towers for many days in July. Watch | Victoria's acting chief health officer was given only 15 minutes to consider and approve the measure, which includes the impact on human rights, Ombudsman Deborah Glass' report said. Also read | Australian MP urges Donald Trump to pardon Julian Assange before leaving White House "The rushed lockdown was not compatible with the residents' human rights, including their right to humane treatment when deprived of liberty..., the action appeared to be contrary to the law," Deborah was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. People residing in the eight towers were confined in their apartments for five days, but in the ninth tower, which had the most number of cases, there was a complete lockdown for two weeks. The report said some residents were left without food and medicines, and several others waited for over a week to go outside. The state government accepted that mistakes were committed, but insisted that the measures were necessary to ensure the safety of its people. "We make no apology for saving people's lives, absolutely no apology for saving people's lives," Victoria state Housing Minister Richard Wynne told reporters. Australia managed to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but the bulk of the cases were reported from Victoria. However, the state is able to control the surge and has not reported a single case in 48 consecutive days as of Thursday.

Australian state violated human rights in lockdown to control Covid-19 spread: Report

Australia is set to ask the World Trade Organisation to investigate punitive Chinese tariffs on barley imports.

In a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Wednesday announced the decision, saying Beijing's 80-percent surcharge on barley imports from Australia "lack basis" and "are not underpinned by facts and evidence".

He added that similar action could be taken in other sectors.

Australia-China relations are at the lowest ebb since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, with Beijing rolling out a string of economic sanctions against Australian products. The tariffs and the response to them come against the backdrop of fierce disputes between Canberra and Beijing that have prompted fears the measures were also politically motivated.

Australia's barley exports to China had been worth around US$1 billion a year before a recent drought, and are used most notably in beer-making.

Experts say Beijing has mulled restricting Australian barley imports since 2018 amid worries that China -- which produces only around 20 per cent of the barley it needs -- is overly dependent on imports.

At least 13 Australian sectors have been subjected to tariffs or some form of disruption, including barley, beef, coal, copper, cotton, lobsters, sugar, timber, tourism, universities, wine, wheat and wool.

(with inputs)

Australia is set to ask the World Trade Organisation to investigate punitive Chinese tariffs on barley imports. In a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Wednesday announced the decision, saying Beijing's 80-percent surcharge on barley imports from Australia "lack basis" and "are not underpinned by facts and evidence".

Australia is set to ask the World Trade Organisation to investigate punitive Chinese tariffs on barley imports. In a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham on Wednesday announced the decision, saying Beijing's 80-percent surcharge on barley imports from Australia "lack basis" and "are not underpinned by facts and evidence". He added that similar action could be taken in other sectors. Australia-China relations are at the lowest ebb since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, with Beijing rolling out a string of economic sanctions against Australian products. The tariffs and the response to them come against the backdrop of fierce disputes between Canberra and Beijing that have prompted fears the measures were also politically motivated. Australia's barley exports to China had been worth around US$1 billion a year before a recent drought, and are used most notably in beer-making. Experts say Beijing has mulled restricting Australian barley imports since 2018 amid worries that China -- which produces only around 20 per cent of the barley it needs -- is overly dependent on imports. At least 13 Australian sectors have been subjected to tariffs or some form of disruption, including barley, beef, coal, copper, cotton, lobsters, sugar, timber, tourism, universities, wine, wheat and wool. (with inputs)

Australia to take China to WTO over barley tariff

Australia's Gold Coast Beaches are swamped by foam caused by rough seas. Some people turned up at the beaches for a party. WION's Palki tells you why this was a bad idea.

Gravitas: Australia's cyclone season whips up a surprise

Australia is a wonderful and bizarre place. The continent is filled with creatures and scary insects unique to it. And many of them are not as meek-looking as Kangaroos. Social media is rife with images of giant spiders and whatnot that scare the hell out of people not from the Land Down Under.

Now tourists will have to keep another advisory in mind as they go to Australia. Because sea-snakes are lurking in the waters of northern New South Wales beaches.

And to make matters worse, the beaches and the sea are covered in dense foam that has formed due to storms. The storms have made sure that the seawater mixes and churns with algae, salts, pollutants and fats to form this foam that has covered the surface of water.

This means that you won't know what's around your feet as you enter water or even roam on the beach.

Want know how scary that could be? Watch video in the tweet below. A dog was lost in the sea foam and was rescued.

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A dog has been rescued from sea foam churned up along <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Australia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Australia</a>’s east coast, as storms batter the country. <a href="https://t.co/J4UiZnxS2F">https://t.co/J4UiZnxS2F</a> <a href="https://t.co/Mloz4C1dHt">pic.twitter.com/Mloz4C1dHt</a>
— Atlantide (@Atlantide4world) <a href="https://twitter.com/Atlantide4world/status/1338660587321094144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The authorities have warned people to stay off these beaches and avoid swimming.

Just to drive home the point that Australia is indeed land for the tough, we leave you with this tweet.

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I have sprayed the outdoor and indoor areas of my house with spider stuff.... Twice in the last two months. 
 
There is a big black spider under my cats water bowl like: 
 
϶o 
 
How did you survive, pleb? No matter. I need to go get more spray. 
 
Australia is scary af dude. <a href="https://t.co/E6NPG7r8UX">pic.twitter.com/E6NPG7r8UX</a>
— notreya (@notreya_) <a href="https://twitter.com/notreya_/status/1225242913547776000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Australia is a wonderful and bizarre place. The continent is filled with creatures and scary insects unique to it. And many of them are not as meek-looking as Kangaroos.

Australia is a wonderful and bizarre place. The continent is filled with creatures and scary insects unique to it. And many of them are not as meek-looking as Kangaroos. Social media is rife with images of giant spiders and whatnot that scare the hell out of people not from the Land Down Under. Now tourists will have to keep another advisory in mind as they go to Australia. Because sea-snakes are lurking in the waters of northern New South Wales beaches. And to make matters worse, the beaches and the sea are covered in dense foam that has formed due to storms. The storms have made sure that the seawater mixes and churns with algae, salts, pollutants and fats to form this foam that has covered the surface of water. This means that you won't know what's around your feet as you enter water or even roam on the beach. Want know how scary that could be? Watch video in the tweet below. A dog was lost in the sea foam and was rescued. A dog has been rescued from sea foam churned up along #Australia’s east coast, as storms batter the country. https://t.co/J4UiZnxS2F pic.twitter.com/Mloz4C1dHt — Atlantide (@Atlantide4world) December 15, 2020 × The authorities have warned people to stay off these beaches and avoid swimming. Just to drive home the point that Australia is indeed land for the tough, we leave you with this tweet. I have sprayed the outdoor and indoor areas of my house with spider stuff.... Twice in the last two months. There is a big black spider under my cats water bowl like: ϶o How did you survive, pleb? No matter. I need to go get more spray. Australia is scary af dude. pic.twitter.com/E6NPG7r8UX — notreya (@notreya_) February 6, 2020 ×

Snakes are lurking on Australia's foam-filled beaches now

An Australian regulator sued Facebook Inc on Wednesday accusing it of collecting user data without permission, building on government efforts around the world to rein in the social network.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it was seeking an unspecified fine from Facebook for promoting a virtual private network as a way for people to protect their data, while secretly using the information to pick targets for commercial acquisitions.

The lawsuit echoes a landmark U.S. Federal Trade Commission action accusing the social media giant of inappropriately maintaining market dominance by using customer data to decide on takeover targets including messaging app Whatsapp and image-sharing app Instagram.

"There is a link to what the FTC is saying, but they`re looking at a competition issue," ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said at a televised news conference. "We`re looking at the consumer."

A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was "always clear about the information we collect and how it is used".

"We will review the recent filing by the ACCC and will continue to defend our position in response to this recent filing," she added.

Facebook shut down the VPN product in 2019.

Earlier this month, Australia went ahead with plans to make Facebook and internet giant Google pay domestic media outlets for content that appeared on their websites, at Sims`s recommendation.

The Australian privacy regulator has a separate lawsuit against Facebook accusing it of breaching user privacy with a personality test run by political marketing consultant Cambridge Analytica. Facebook is defending that action. The ACCC is also suing Google alleging it misled users about data collection.

Unlike the U.S. lawsuit, which may force Facebook to sell assets, the Australian lawsuit may force the company to change the way it discloses its activities to users, said Rob Nicholls, a University of New South Wales associate professor who specialises in competition law.

"Rather than take the antitrust approach of `the only way to solve this is to break it up`, it`s more `we`re going to take the actions that we can under the existing law to change the conduct so that it is acceptable to Australian consumers and Australian businesses," Nicholls said.

An Australian regulator sued Facebook Inc on Wednesday accusing it of collecting user data without permission, building on government efforts around the world to rein in the social network.

An Australian regulator sued Facebook Inc on Wednesday accusing it of collecting user data without permission, building on government efforts around the world to rein in the social network. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said it was seeking an unspecified fine from Facebook for promoting a virtual private network as a way for people to protect their data, while secretly using the information to pick targets for commercial acquisitions. The lawsuit echoes a landmark U.S. Federal Trade Commission action accusing the social media giant of inappropriately maintaining market dominance by using customer data to decide on takeover targets including messaging app Whatsapp and image-sharing app Instagram. "There is a link to what the FTC is saying, but they`re looking at a competition issue," ACCC Chairman Rod Sims said at a televised news conference. "We`re looking at the consumer." A Facebook spokeswoman said the company was "always clear about the information we collect and how it is used". "We will review the recent filing by the ACCC and will continue to defend our position in response to this recent filing," she added. Facebook shut down the VPN product in 2019. Earlier this month, Australia went ahead with plans to make Facebook and internet giant Google pay domestic media outlets for content that appeared on their websites, at Sims`s recommendation. The Australian privacy regulator has a separate lawsuit against Facebook accusing it of breaching user privacy with a personality test run by political marketing consultant Cambridge Analytica. Facebook is defending that action. The ACCC is also suing Google alleging it misled users about data collection. Unlike the U.S. lawsuit, which may force Facebook to sell assets, the Australian lawsuit may force the company to change the way it discloses its activities to users, said Rob Nicholls, a University of New South Wales associate professor who specialises in competition law. "Rather than take the antitrust approach of `the only way to solve this is to break it up`, it`s more `we`re going to take the actions that we can under the existing law to change the conduct so that it is acceptable to Australian consumers and Australian businesses," Nicholls said.

Australia sues Facebook over user data, echoing US antitrust case

Australia's cyclone season has whipped up a surprise. Beaches along the famous gold coast are covered in foam. It's a rare phenomenon but not unheard of.

As locals got wind of the news, they descended on the beaches in large numbers, and what followed was a full-scale foam party.

It was a pleasant surprise for residents in Australia's East Coast. Dozens of families soon arrived with their kids and the whole thing turned into a huge party.

The East Coast is going through a spell of extreme weather — heavy rains, flash floods and high-speed winds.

Clearly, there's a connection between the foam and these cyclonic conditions.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-australias-cyclone-season-whips-up-a-surprise-350021">WATCH|</a>

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What exactly is that connection?

"Sea foam is largely protein that's coming from degrading organic matter in the oceans," said James Cook University Associate Professor Jodie Rummer.

"When we stir soap up in a basin of water it foams up and that's exactly what happens when these degrading organisms get stirred up by the wind and the waves and we get sea foam."

Sea foam isn't particularly dangerous to humans but beach parties are still not a good idea.

The weather hasn't cleared over the East Coast. Heavy rains are expected until early Wednesday, along with isolated thunderstorms. Thousands of locals are on stand-by for evacuation.&nbsp;

In the gold coast, some of the most famous beaches aren't there anymore. The rising sea has swallowed them.&nbsp;

All of these weather events in Australia are linked to the La Nina Phenomenon. It brings with it heavy rains and tropical cyclones. Extreme weather has become the norm down under. Last year, was forest fire season and this year it's cyclone season.

Australia's cyclone season has whipped up a surprise. Beaches along the famous gold coast are covered in foam. It's a rare phenomenon but not unheard of. As locals got wind of the news, they descended on the beaches in large numbers, and what followed was a full-scale foam party.

Australia's cyclone season has whipped up a surprise. Beaches along the famous gold coast are covered in foam. It's a rare phenomenon but not unheard of. As locals got wind of the news, they descended on the beaches in large numbers, and what followed was a full-scale foam party. It was a pleasant surprise for residents in Australia's East Coast. Dozens of families soon arrived with their kids and the whole thing turned into a huge party. The East Coast is going through a spell of extreme weather — heavy rains, flash floods and high-speed winds. Clearly, there's a connection between the foam and these cyclonic conditions. WATCH| × What exactly is that connection? "Sea foam is largely protein that's coming from degrading organic matter in the oceans," said James Cook University Associate Professor Jodie Rummer. "When we stir soap up in a basin of water it foams up and that's exactly what happens when these degrading organisms get stirred up by the wind and the waves and we get sea foam." Sea foam isn't particularly dangerous to humans but beach parties are still not a good idea. The weather hasn't cleared over the East Coast. Heavy rains are expected until early Wednesday, along with isolated thunderstorms. Thousands of locals are on stand-by for evacuation. In the gold coast, some of the most famous beaches aren't there anymore. The rising sea has swallowed them. All of these weather events in Australia are linked to the La Nina Phenomenon. It brings with it heavy rains and tropical cyclones. Extreme weather has become the norm down under. Last year, was forest fire season and this year it's cyclone season.

White magic: Australians turned heavy rains, flash floods into foam party

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any shift by China away from imports of high quality Australian coal would be a "lose-lose" for the environment and trading relationship. 
 
Chinese media outlets including The Global Times and Caixin on Monday reported China`s top economic planner had granted approval to power plants to import coal without clearance restrictions, except for Australia. 
 
Australia on Tuesday urged China to clarify the reports, which it said would breach international trade rules if true. 
 
Coal is the third biggest export from Australia, which has been embroiled in a worsening diplomatic dispute with its largest trading partner China. Beijing has imposed a series of trade reprisals after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus. 
 
Australia`s prime minister said a shift by China away from Australian coal imports would be "a bad outcome for the environment". 
 
"It really is a lose-lose here because Australian coal, compared to that coal that is sourced from other countries, the other countries have 50% higher emissions than Australian coal," Morrison told media on Tuesday. 
 
Although A$4 billion of A$13 billion ($3 billion to $9.8 billion) in thermal coal exports went to China, it was not Australia`s largest customer, said Morrison, adding any restrictions on Australian coal would be in breach of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. 
 
Shares of Australian pureplay coal exporters fell sharply. Shares of New Hope Corp Ltd and China-controlled Yancoal Australia Ltd were down 12% in morning trading, while shares of Whitehaven Coal Ltd were down 9%, against a slightly weaker overall market. 
 
Diversified mining giant BHP Group Ltd, which has coal mining interests, was down 2.5%. 
 
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said there had been "a pattern of disruption" of Australian trade with China, and it was well documented vessels had been delayed in offloading Australian coal. 
 
Australia has raised concerns at a WTO meeting about China taking measures against Australian barley, wine, meat, dairy, live seafood, logs, timber, coal and cotton. 
 
Beijing`s opaque action in the resources sector involved "disruption through use of state influence with different companies", Birmingham said on Tuesday. 
 
Minerals Council Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the success of Australia and China`s trade in minerals relied on a "rules-based trade system". 
 
The council encouraged the "Australian and Chinese governments to work together to resolve these issues and restore stability to the long-term trading relationship," she said in a statement. 
 
The Chinese embassy last month outlined grievances about restrictions on Chinese investment in Australia, and criticism of China by Australian parliamentarians and the media. 
 
Morrison said Australia was a liberal democracy and his government would not back down on these issues. 
 
"If a perception emerges that there is a conflation between political issues and a trading relationship.. That can create a lot of uncertainty for many other trading partners," he said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any shift by China away from imports of high quality Australian coal would be a "lose-lose" for the environment and trading relationship.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said any shift by China away from imports of high quality Australian coal would be a "lose-lose" for the environment and trading relationship. Chinese media outlets including The Global Times and Caixin on Monday reported China`s top economic planner had granted approval to power plants to import coal without clearance restrictions, except for Australia. Australia on Tuesday urged China to clarify the reports, which it said would breach international trade rules if true. Coal is the third biggest export from Australia, which has been embroiled in a worsening diplomatic dispute with its largest trading partner China. Beijing has imposed a series of trade reprisals after Canberra called for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus. Australia`s prime minister said a shift by China away from Australian coal imports would be "a bad outcome for the environment". "It really is a lose-lose here because Australian coal, compared to that coal that is sourced from other countries, the other countries have 50% higher emissions than Australian coal," Morrison told media on Tuesday. Although A$4 billion of A$13 billion ($3 billion to $9.8 billion) in thermal coal exports went to China, it was not Australia`s largest customer, said Morrison, adding any restrictions on Australian coal would be in breach of World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. Shares of Australian pureplay coal exporters fell sharply. Shares of New Hope Corp Ltd and China-controlled Yancoal Australia Ltd were down 12% in morning trading, while shares of Whitehaven Coal Ltd were down 9%, against a slightly weaker overall market. Diversified mining giant BHP Group Ltd, which has coal mining interests, was down 2.5%. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said there had been "a pattern of disruption" of Australian trade with China, and it was well documented vessels had been delayed in offloading Australian coal. Australia has raised concerns at a WTO meeting about China taking measures against Australian barley, wine, meat, dairy, live seafood, logs, timber, coal and cotton. Beijing`s opaque action in the resources sector involved "disruption through use of state influence with different companies", Birmingham said on Tuesday. Minerals Council Australia chief executive Tania Constable said the success of Australia and China`s trade in minerals relied on a "rules-based trade system". The council encouraged the "Australian and Chinese governments to work together to resolve these issues and restore stability to the long-term trading relationship," she said in a statement. The Chinese embassy last month outlined grievances about restrictions on Chinese investment in Australia, and criticism of China by Australian parliamentarians and the media. Morrison said Australia was a liberal democracy and his government would not back down on these issues. "If a perception emerges that there is a conflation between political issues and a trading relationship.. That can create a lot of uncertainty for many other trading partners," he said.

Australia says it will pursue all avenues on reports of China coal restrictions

Mountains of sea foam covered coastlines along Australia's eastern seaboard as cyclonic winds and unprecedented weather conditions bear down on the coast.

Severe wet weather continues for 5th day; Gold Coast hit with dangerous strong winds

It was no foam party for local dog, Hazel, as she wandered into a large amount of sea foam churned up a Gold Coast beach as cyclonic conditions along Australia's northeast coast generated huge seas washing away beaches at popular tourist spots. A slightly confused Hazel was reunited with her anxious owner after a quick search.

Dog rescued from sea foam as huge seas and rain batter Australian tourist spots

Australian researchers said that coral populations from their first "Coral IVF" trial on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 have not only survived recent bleaching events, but are on track to reproduce and spawn next year.

'Coral IVF' trial on Great Barrier Reef a blossoming success, Australian researchers say

An Australian state recently achieved an amazing feat!&nbsp;The island state of Tasmania now runs on 100% renewable energy.

The state has met its goal to become fully self sufficient in terms of green energy two years ahead of schedule. The feat was achieved in November, when out of 31 wind turbines, the 29th went online.

Now, essentially the state has&nbsp;access to more energy than it needs.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/pm-modi-interacts-with-vestas-ceo-henrik-andersen-highlights-indias-efforts-to-harness-renewable-energy-333041" hreflang="en">PM Modi interacts with Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen, highlights India’s efforts to harness renewable energy</a>

“We have reached 100% thanks to our commitment to realizing Tasmania’s renewable energy potential through our nation-leading energy policies and making Tasmania attractive for industry investment, which in turn is creating jobs across the state, particularly in our regions”, Energy Minister Guy Barnett said in a statement.

Tasmania is known for its environment friendly forward thinking solutions. In fact, as long ago as 1895, the Duck Reach Power Station opened in the city of Launceston, when it ran entirely on hydropower.

In the last two year, all state’s energy needs were met through hydroelectric systems, along with wind energy generation.

Now, the state wants to double its generation of renewable energy, with a target of 200 per cent by 2040.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/latest-world-news-to-combat-asias-next-clean-energy-battle-indonesia-needs-to-sign-new-renewable-energy-contract-report-278496" hreflang="en">To combat Asia's energy battle, Indonesia needs to sign new renewable energy contract: Report</a>

In the last ten years, Australia’s generation of renewable energy doubled. But even then, fossil fuels accounted for 94 per cent of the country’s resource usage. Oil accounted for 39 per cent, coal for 29 per cent, and natural gas for 26 per cent.

The country is also one of the largest exporters of energy in the world. 88 per cent of black coal production in the country was sent to another country in the last two years.

Another state - Victoria recently announced plans to invest $1.2 billion in renewable energy. But the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison views gas as the primary way to help the economy recover from COVID-19.

An Australian state recently achieved an amazing feat! The island state of Tasmania now runs on 100% renewable energy. The state has met its goal to become fully self sufficient in terms of green energy two years ahead of schedule.

An Australian state recently achieved an amazing feat! The island state of Tasmania now runs on 100% renewable energy. The state has met its goal to become fully self sufficient in terms of green energy two years ahead of schedule. The feat was achieved in November, when out of 31 wind turbines, the 29th went online. Now, essentially the state has access to more energy than it needs. Also read: PM Modi interacts with Vestas CEO Henrik Andersen, highlights India’s efforts to harness renewable energy “We have reached 100% thanks to our commitment to realizing Tasmania’s renewable energy potential through our nation-leading energy policies and making Tasmania attractive for industry investment, which in turn is creating jobs across the state, particularly in our regions”, Energy Minister Guy Barnett said in a statement. Tasmania is known for its environment friendly forward thinking solutions. In fact, as long ago as 1895, the Duck Reach Power Station opened in the city of Launceston, when it ran entirely on hydropower. In the last two year, all state’s energy needs were met through hydroelectric systems, along with wind energy generation. Now, the state wants to double its generation of renewable energy, with a target of 200 per cent by 2040. Also read: To combat Asia's energy battle, Indonesia needs to sign new renewable energy contract: Report In the last ten years, Australia’s generation of renewable energy doubled. But even then, fossil fuels accounted for 94 per cent of the country’s resource usage. Oil accounted for 39 per cent, coal for 29 per cent, and natural gas for 26 per cent. The country is also one of the largest exporters of energy in the world. 88 per cent of black coal production in the country was sent to another country in the last two years. Another state - Victoria recently announced plans to invest $1.2 billion in renewable energy. But the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison views gas as the primary way to help the economy recover from COVID-19.

This Australian state now runs on 100% renewable energy

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials.

The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine.

Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial".

In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile."

However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said.

If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false-positive HIV tests in the community.

"Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added.

CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests.

Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane.

The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19.

Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully.

"What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always.

The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers.

CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on.

"I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government, and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said.

UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed.

"Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said.

Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials.

The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine.

Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial".

In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile."

However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said.

If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false positive HIV tests in the community.

"Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests.

There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added.

CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests.

Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane.

The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19.

Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully.

"What happened today is not a surprise to the Government.

We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always.

The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate  v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers.

CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials.

UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on.

"I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said.

UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed.

"Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said.

Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday.

The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false-positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday. The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials. The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine. Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial". In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile." However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said. If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false-positive HIV tests in the community. "Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added. CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests. Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane. The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19. Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully. "What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always. The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate, v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers. CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials. UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on. "I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government, and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said. UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed. "Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said. Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University. The clinical trials of a coronavirus vaccine candidate being developed in Australia has been scrapped after trial participants returned false positive test results for HIV, the developers announced on Friday. The COVID-19 vaccine, which was being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, have been scrapped, the company said in a statement released to the Australian Stock Exchange, CSL said it would halt the further trials. The vaccine was one of four candidates that Australia had committed to buy and accordingly agreements were made to secure 51 million doses of the vaccine. Stressing the vaccine had a "strong safety profile", CSL said: "The potential for this cross-reaction had been anticipated prior to the commencement of the trial". In a statement, CSL said that no serious adverse effects had been reported in the 216 trial participants, and the vaccine was shown to have a "strong safety profile." However trial data revealed that antibodies generated by the vaccine interfered with HIV diagnosis and led to false positives on some HIV tests, CSL said. If the vaccine was rolled out nationally, CSL said it could undermine public health in Australia by causing a wave of false positive HIV tests in the community. "Follow up tests confirmed that there is no HIV virus present, just a false positive on certain HIV tests. There is no possibility the vaccine causes infection," the statement added. CSL also said participants were told before the trial started that the vaccine could interfere with certain HIV diagnostic tests. Human trials have been conducted since July this year with 120 volunteers in Brisbane. The vaccine, manufactured at CSL's biologics facility in Victoria, was developed using an existing UQ technology called a "molecular clamp", a patented system that is designed to stimulate an immune response and protect against people developing COVID-19. Reacting to the CSL news, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said abandoning the trial should show Australians the Government and researchers were proceeding carefully. "What happened today is not a surprise to the Government. We are moving swiftly but not with any undue haste,' he said, adding the system's working as it should and Australians are protected, as always. The University of Queensland commenced a Phase 1 trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate  v451 in July 2020 to assess safety and immunogenicity in healthy volunteers. CSL was working towards taking responsibility for the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and large-scale manufacture of the vaccine, upon completion of successful trials. UQ Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry said while the outcome was disappointing, she was immensely proud of the UQ team who had shouldered a heavy burden of responsibility while the world watched on. "I also want to thank our many partners, our donors, including the Federal and Queensland Government and of course the 216 Queenslanders who so willingly volunteered for the Phase 1 trials," Terry said. UQ vaccine co-lead Paul Young said that although it was possible to re-engineer the vaccine, the team did not have the luxury of time needed. "Doing so would set back development by another 12 or so months, and while this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone's priority," Young said. Australia has so far reported 28,011 cases of coronavirus and 908 deaths related to it, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Australia ends COVID-19 vaccine trials after participants develop antibodies for HIV

Sadam Abdusalam posted photographs on social media on Friday of his family arriving at Sydney airport, and thanked Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne as well as human rights activists for their help.

Uighur family separated by Beijing reunites after 3 years

Media organisations invest time, money & effort to create content. Tech companies display this content, get ads but don't share the money. As Australia makes Google & Facebook pay for news

Gravitas: Australia to make big Tech-giants pay for news

Australia ordered an enquiry into combatting violent extremism. A parliamentary committee in Australia has announced that it will examine the spread of radical movements.

Australia tackles right-wing terror, probe to target Islamists, Neo-Nazis

Australia is cracking down on white terror at home a year after a 28-year-old Australian attacked two mosques in New Zealand's Christchurch and killed 51 worshippers.

Gravitas: Australia's battles White supremacy

A global anti-terror drive has picked up. While Europe is battling radical Islamist terrorism, New Zealand and Australia are battling far-right extremism.

On December 8, New Zealand called for sweeping changes to counter-terrorism operations, put forward by those probing the Christchurch massacre.

Following NZ, on December 9, Australia ordered an enquiry into combatting violent extremism. A parliamentary committee in Australia has announced that it will examine the spread of radical movements.

On the same day, Australia arrested an 18-year-old who was researching bomb making. Authorities say that the teenager was accessing “Neo-Nazi, white supremacist and anti-semitic material” online.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/after-blaming-us-and-india-china-claims-covid-19-originated-in-australia-348371" hreflang="en">After blaming US and India, China claims COVID-19 originated in Australia</a>

Australia's far right radicalism - is not really unique and centres around Neo-Nazism, anti-immigration rhetoric, Islamophobia and preservation of western values and cultural purity.

Far-right leaning Australians believe that white identity is under threat. For the longest time, such extremism went unchecked because Australia narrowed its anti-terror drives to just Islamist groups. The Christchurch attack across the border- forced Canberra to change direction. The terrorist in the attack was an Australian citizen.

In October this year, a study funded by the government of New South Wales identified 30 Australian rightwing extremist group pages on Facebook. It also ear-marked over 37,000 tweets and 3,000 users.

Researchers said that these extremist groups were “appropriating conservative politics and appropriating Trumpism” to expose potential recruits to their narratives. The challenge before Australia is to act before the extremism online spills offline in the form of violence.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-to-make-facebook-google-pay-news-outlets-for-content-348266" hreflang="en">Australia to make Facebook, Google pay news outlets for content</a>

In September this year, the country's intelligence official said that white supremacist extremism accounts for 40 per cent of their counter-terrorism case load. Just four years ago, the number was 15 per cent.

Experts point out that several Australian leaders do not have an appetite to deal with the problem. In October this year, Australia's domestic spy agency was criticised for using the term “right-wing” when referring to extremism.

One senator said that it caused “unnecessary anxiety” and could offend conservatives. Two months on, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton wants to broaden the probe on white terror to include Islamist groups.

A global anti-terror drive has picked up. While Europe is battling radical Islamist terrorism, New Zealand and Australia are battling far-right extremism. On December 8, New Zealand called for sweeping changes to counter-terrorism operations, put forward by those probing the Christchurch massacre.

A global anti-terror drive has picked up. While Europe is battling radical Islamist terrorism, New Zealand and Australia are battling far-right extremism. On December 8, New Zealand called for sweeping changes to counter-terrorism operations, put forward by those probing the Christchurch massacre. Following NZ, on December 9, Australia ordered an enquiry into combatting violent extremism. A parliamentary committee in Australia has announced that it will examine the spread of radical movements. On the same day, Australia arrested an 18-year-old who was researching bomb making. Authorities say that the teenager was accessing “Neo-Nazi, white supremacist and anti-semitic material” online. Also read: After blaming US and India, China claims COVID-19 originated in Australia Australia's far right radicalism - is not really unique and centres around Neo-Nazism, anti-immigration rhetoric, Islamophobia and preservation of western values and cultural purity. Far-right leaning Australians believe that white identity is under threat. For the longest time, such extremism went unchecked because Australia narrowed its anti-terror drives to just Islamist groups. The Christchurch attack across the border- forced Canberra to change direction. The terrorist in the attack was an Australian citizen. In October this year, a study funded by the government of New South Wales identified 30 Australian rightwing extremist group pages on Facebook. It also ear-marked over 37,000 tweets and 3,000 users. Researchers said that these extremist groups were “appropriating conservative politics and appropriating Trumpism” to expose potential recruits to their narratives. The challenge before Australia is to act before the extremism online spills offline in the form of violence. Also read: Australia to make Facebook, Google pay news outlets for content In September this year, the country's intelligence official said that white supremacist extremism accounts for 40 per cent of their counter-terrorism case load. Just four years ago, the number was 15 per cent. Experts point out that several Australian leaders do not have an appetite to deal with the problem. In October this year, Australia's domestic spy agency was criticised for using the term “right-wing” when referring to extremism. One senator said that it caused “unnecessary anxiety” and could offend conservatives. Two months on, Australia's Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton wants to broaden the probe on white terror to include Islamist groups.

One day after New Zealand, Australia begins quelling far-right extremism

Australian police arrested on Wednesday an 18-year man who had allegedly expressed interest in committing a mass causality attack, motivated by right-wing ideology.

Your Story: Australian police arrest Neo-Nazi teen in Sydney

Australian consumer sentiment climbed for the fourth straight month in December to a 10-year high as the country further relaxed virus restrictions and states opened their borders to each other.

World Business Watch: Australia consumer sentiment hits 10-year high

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/facebook">Facebook Inc</a> and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants.

Under laws to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Big Tech firms will have to negotiate how much they pay local publishers and broadcasters for content that appears on their platforms.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/canada-plans-digital-tax-in-2022-on-global-tech-giants-such-as-facebook-google-346651">Canada plans digital tax in 2022 on global tech giants such as Facebook, Google</a>

If they can't strike a deal, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide how much they will need to pay.

"This is a huge reform, this is a world first, and the world is watching what happens here in Australia," Frydenberg told reporters in the capital Canberra.

"Our legislation will help ensure that the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world ... and ultimately sustain our media landscape here in Australia."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-sues-facebook-for-allegedly-favouring-immigrants-over-us-workers-347344">US sues Facebook for allegedly favouring immigrants over US workers</a>

The law amounts to the strongest check of the tech giants' market power globally, and follows three years of inquiry and consultation, ultimately spilling into a public dispute in August when the U.S. companies warned it may it may stop them offering their services in Australia.

Asked about earlier Facebook threats to block news content from its Australian website and Google's threat to block its main search engine in Australia, Frydenberg said "it's a mandatory code" and the companies would be "required by law ... to abide by it".

In changes to draft legislation announced earlier this year that might benefit the tech companies, the final version of the law would not affect news content distributed on Facebook's Instagram subsidiary or Google's Youtube.

But Frydenberg added to the list of media companies with whom the tech giants must negotiate, saying public broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corp and specialist public broadcaster SBS would be included, along with dominant private sector outlets like News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd.

Representatives of Google and Facebook were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make Facebook Inc and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants.

Australia locked in plans on Tuesday to make Facebook Inc and Google pay its media outlets for news content, a world-first move aimed at protecting independent journalism that has drawn strong opposition from the internet giants. Under laws to be introduced to parliament on Wednesday, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Big Tech firms will have to negotiate how much they pay local publishers and broadcasters for content that appears on their platforms. Also read| Canada plans digital tax in 2022 on global tech giants such as Facebook, Google If they can't strike a deal, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide how much they will need to pay. "This is a huge reform, this is a world first, and the world is watching what happens here in Australia," Frydenberg told reporters in the capital Canberra. "Our legislation will help ensure that the rules of the digital world mirror the rules of the physical world ... and ultimately sustain our media landscape here in Australia." Also read| US sues Facebook for allegedly favouring immigrants over US workers The law amounts to the strongest check of the tech giants' market power globally, and follows three years of inquiry and consultation, ultimately spilling into a public dispute in August when the U.S. companies warned it may it may stop them offering their services in Australia. Asked about earlier Facebook threats to block news content from its Australian website and Google's threat to block its main search engine in Australia, Frydenberg said "it's a mandatory code" and the companies would be "required by law ... to abide by it". In changes to draft legislation announced earlier this year that might benefit the tech companies, the final version of the law would not affect news content distributed on Facebook's Instagram subsidiary or Google's Youtube. But Frydenberg added to the list of media companies with whom the tech giants must negotiate, saying public broadcaster the Australian Broadcasting Corp and specialist public broadcaster SBS would be included, along with dominant private sector outlets like News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd. Representatives of Google and Facebook were not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.

Australia to make Facebook, Google pay news outlets for content

First it was toilet paper, now it's Christmas trees as Australians stock up on the ultimate festive decoration in record numbers to celebrate the end of a year most people would rather forget. Nearly three weeks from Christmas Day on Dec. 25, owners of Christmas tree farms said they were already having to close due to elevated demand for home-grown pine trees, with some already taking tree orders for Christmas 2021.

Australians panic-buying Christmas trees? In 2020, drone footage shows anything is possible

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