‘The beers are cold’: Australia to open up to New Zealanders after COVID border shutdown
SYDNEY – New Zealanders will soon be able to travel to Australia without having to self-quarantine as COVID-19 infections slow and Canberra seeks to revive its ailing economy, Australian Deputy…
Australia fines ANZ $10 mln over periodical payment fees between accounts
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd says it has been fined $10 million by a federal court for wrongly charging customers fees for some transactions made between their accounts.…
Vietnam says China military drills could harm maritime code talks
HANOI – Vietnam says that military drills conducted this week by Beijing in the South China Sea will hurt negotiations on a regional maritime code of conduct (COC) for the…
UK secures Vietnam backing to join Trans-Pacific trading group, Raab says
HANOI/LONDON – Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on Wednesday he hopes to conclude talks on a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom soon, the government said. “Vietnam…
Australia to offer manufacturing sector $1.3 billion in grants, PM to say
SYDNEY – Australia will offer manufacturers up to $1.3 billion in grants to expand, Prime Minister Scott Morrison will say, as Canberra outlines its plan to revive an economy ravaged…
Vietnam govt says needs $US133.3 bln for power projects by 2030
HANOI – Vietnam will need to invest up to $US133.3 billion in new power plants and transmission networks over the next decade to meet the country’s rising demand, the government…
Australia loosens lending laws to revive coronavirus-hit economy
SYDNEY – Australia says it will ease lending standards for banks in a move designed to free up credit and revive the economy, which slid into its first recession in…
Virus cases falling in Australia’s hotspot state, restrictions may ease further
MELBOURNE – Australia‘s coronavirus hotspot state of Victoria looks set to lift some tough lockdown restrictions in coming days, after reporting only 14 new cases and eight deaths in the…
Vietnam jails 20 for terrorism over police station bombs
HANOI – A Vietnamese court has sentenced 20 people to between two and 24 years in prison on terrorism charges over their involvement in a police station bombing two years…
Australia virus hotspot state records lowest new cases since June
MELBOURNE – The Australian state at the centre of the country’s novel coronavirus outbreak has reported its lowest daily increase of infections in three months, putting it on course to…