Australia

SYDNEY, May 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Australians who broke the law, to protest social distancing restrictions, received harsh rebuke from medical community representatives today, accused of jeopardising an early relaxing of restrictions.

Hundreds of demonstrators hit the streets in the state of Victoria on Sunday, calling for an end to the lock-down.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia’s most populous states held back from relaxing coronavirus restrictions on Saturday although other states began allowing small gatherings and were preparing to open restaurants and shops.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison outlined a three-stage plan a day earlier to remove most curbs by July and get nearly 1 million people back to work, given that new confirmed coronavirus infections have fallen to less than 20 a day due to strict lockdowns.

SYDNEY, May 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Australia’s government on Friday unveiled a three-stage plan to get the economy back to a new “COVID-safe” normal by the end of July.

Federal authorities have left details of the plan’s implementation up to the country’s diverse states and territories, meaning coronavirus restrictions will remain in place for weeks or months longer in areas hardest hit by the disease.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday, ending a multi-day streak of gains, as investors focused on oversupply risks after U.S. crude inventories rose more than expected amid a slump in demand caused by restrictions to halt the coronavirus spread.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures fell as much as 2.1% to $24.05 a barrel and were down 14 cents at $24.41 a barrel at 0201 GMT. WTI has snapped a five-day winning streak.

Brent crude LCOc1 futures were flat at $30.97 a barrel.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Shares struggled and the yen gained on Wednesday, with markets in China faltering on their return from a long holiday as investors fretted over Sino-U.S. tensions, while oil ended an extended winning streak on oversupply risks amid weak demand.

Wall Street futures turned negative after starting higher, with E-minis for the S&P500 ESc1 off 0.3%.

China, opening for the first time since Thursday, started on the backfoot with the blue-chip index.CSI300 down 0.6%. Australian shares skidded 0.8%.

SYDNEY/WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand said on Tuesday efforts to resume travel between the two countries would take some time, as they cautiously re-open their mostly shuttered economies after containing outbreaks of the novel coronavirus.

Australia and New Zealand have for more than a month closed their borders to all non-citizens and imposed mandatory quarantines on anyone returning home from overseas.

SYDNEY, May 1 (NNN-Xinhua) — A man was shot dead by the police after reportedly stabbing five people at a shopping center in the Australian state of Western Australia on Friday.

At around 10 a.m. local time, police responded to reports of an armed offender at the South Hedland Square shopping center. Reports said non-lethal attempts to subdue the man failed and officers were forced to use firearms.

“Officers have discharged a firearm. St John Ambulance was called to assist,” a police spokesperson said.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government said on Friday it would meet a week ahead of schedule to decide whether to ease social distancing restrictions, as the numbers of new coronavirus infections dwindle and pressure mounts for business and schools to reopen.

Australia has reported about 6,700 cases of the new coronavirus and 93 deaths, well below the levels reported in the United States and Europe. Growth in new infections has slowed to less 0.5% a day, compared to 25% a month ago.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - U.S. oil prices jumped on Wednesday, trimming some of this week’s losses, after U.S. stockpiles rose less than expected and on expectations demand will increase as some European countries and U.S. cities moved to ease coronavirus lockdowns.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures climbed to a high of $14.40 a barrel and were up 15.4%, or $1.90, at $14.24 at 0233 GMT, paring a 27% plunge over the first two days of this week.

Brent crude LCOc1 futures rose 4.6%, or 93 cents, to $21.39 a barrel, adding to a 2.3% gain on Tuesday.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Bhd (AIRA.KL) said on Wednesday it did not intend to take any new aircraft deliveries this year due to the sharp fall in demand from the coronavirus crisis and was relooking at its order book with Airbus SE (AIR.PA).

Reuters last week reported Airbus has put six jets up for sale after giving up on AirAsia taking delivery of them, according to sources familiar with the matter.

AirAsia is one of the European manufacturer’s largest customers.