Australia

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia is removing the British monarchy from its bank notes.

The nation’s central bank said Thursday its new $5 bill would feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The $5 bill was Australia’s only remaining bank note to still feature an image of the monarch.

SYDNEY. Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in the Western Australia state (WA) confirmed that the tiny silver capsule, which contained the radioactive substance Caesium-137, was found and safely controlled at about 11:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

"We successfully retrieved the radioactive capsule after searching hundreds of kilometers in the outback and the metro area over the last six days. The capsule was located just south of Newman on the Great Northern Highway. It was two meters from the side of the road," said Darren Klemm, Fire and Emergency Services commissioner.

CANBERRA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Record level of energy from renewable sources has driven demand for electricity from Australia's grid to an all-time low.

The Australian Energy Market Operator on Wednesday released its report on electricity use for the final quarter of 2022, revealing average wholesale power prices fell more than 50 percent from the September quarter.

SYDNEY, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Australia will limit the sale of alcohol and consider wider bans to control spiralling alcohol-fuelled violence in a central region, in the run-up to a referendum on Indigenous recognition that is shining a light on deep social divisions.

The new rules in the town of Alice Springs, 2,000 km northwest of Sydney, and the surrounding region, mean that the sale of takeaway alcohol will be restricted on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and sales will be reduced on other days.

A fifth of the citizens of Alice Springs are Indigenous.

CANBERRA, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- More than 17,000 weapons were surrendered in the first year of Australia's permanent national firearms amnesty.

The federal government on Saturday released the first annual report on the amnesty program, which allows Australians to hand in unregistered, illegal or unwanted weapons without facing punishment, revealing 17,543 weapons were surrendered in the first 12 months.

The permanent amnesty was set up in mid-2021 following temporary programs in the wake of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996 and again in 2017.

SYDNEY, Jan 7 (NNN-AAP) – Health authority in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), yesterday urged local communities to stay alert, to signs and symptoms of invasive bacterial infections, as related cases recently increased across the state.

The NSW Ministry of Health said in a statement that, there had been increases in both invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) and invasive group A streptococcus (iGAS) infections, in recent weeks.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four people and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

One helicopter was taking off and the other landing when they collided near the Sea World theme park in Main Beach, a northern beach on the Gold Coast, Gary Worrell, Queensland state police acting inspector, said at a news conference.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Two helicopters collided in an Australian tourist hotspot Monday afternoon, killing four passengers and critically injuring three others in a crash that drew emergency aid from beachgoers enjoying the water during the southern summer.

One helicopter appeared to have been taking off and the other landing when they collided near the Sea World theme park in Main Beach, a northern beach on the Gold Coast, Gary Worrell, Queensland state police acting inspector, said at a news conference.

Vienna, Jan 2 (PTI) Voicing "very deep" concern over the raging Ukraine conflict, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India is on the side of peace and since the beginning of the hostilities New Delhi's effort has been to bring Moscow and Kyiv to return to dialogue and diplomacy as differences cannot be settled through violence.

Jaishankar, who arrived here from Cyprus on the second leg of his two-nation tour, made the remarks on Sunday evening while addressing the members of the Indian diaspora in Austria.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — With countdowns and fireworks, revelers in major city centers across the Asia-Pacific region ushered in the first new year without COVID-19 restrictions since the pandemic began in 2020.

While COVID-19 continues to cause death and dismay, particularly in China, which is battling a nationwide surge in infections after suddenly easing anti-epidemic measures, countries had largely lifted quarantine requirements, restrictions for visitors and relentless testing that had limited travel and places people can go to.