Australia | DD News

December 7, 2025 5:40 PM

Australia downgrades wildfire alerts in New South Wales state

Australian authorities on Sunday downgraded alerts for wildfires that have burnt through thousands of hectares of bushland in the country's most populous state, destroying properties and infrastructure. More than 60 wildfires were burning in New South Wales late on Sunday, a day after they destroyed at least 12 homes in the state's Central Coast Region, about 45 km (30 miles) north of the state capital Sydney, Australia's largest city. The region is home to more than 350,000 people. The state'...

November 27, 2025 9:18 AM

Australia set to overhaul environment laws in deal with Greens

Australia will overhaul its environment laws in long-awaited reforms after the Greens party agreed to back the centre-left Labor government's legislation on the final day of parliament for the year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday. The reforms will establish an independent National Environment Protection Agency to strengthen compliance and enforcement, impose higher penalties for major breaches of the law, and remove exemptions from the legislation for "high-risk land clearing ...

November 22, 2025 7:01 PM

PM Modi launches ACITI partnership with Australia, Canada on the sidelines of the G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the launch of a new trilateral initiative — the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership — aimed at advancing cooperation in key futuristic sectors. The announcement came after PM Modi’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. “Had an excellent meeting with Anthony Albanese, PM of Australia, and Mark C...

November 20, 2025 7:15 PM

India, Australia review ties at 16th Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the 16th India–Australia Foreign Ministers' Framework Dialogue continues to serve as a key pillar of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Holding talks in New Delhi with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Jaishankar said the partnership reflects shared trust, democratic values and a common vision for a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. “As we mark five years of that partnership, the warmth and...

November 17, 2025 12:30 PM

Asbestos contamination forces schools in Australia, New Zealand to close

More than 70 schools in Australia and New Zealand were closed on Monday for cleaning after asbestos was discovered in widely used children’s play sand products. Recalls have been issued for several colourful play sand products after laboratory testing detected traces of tremolite and chrysotile asbestos. A number of schools and preschools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and one in Brisbane shut on Friday after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued a natio...

November 9, 2025 12:08 PM

Piyush Goyal holds bilateral talks in Melbourne to review India-Australia CECA progress

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on Saturday held bilateral meetings in Melbourne with Australia’s Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell and Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles to review the progress of the India-Australia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) negotiations. The discussions focused on unlocking the full potential of the India–Australia economic partnership through an ambitious and balanced CECA. Both sides reviewed th...

October 21, 2025 9:31 AM

Trump, Australia’s Albanese sign critical minerals agreement to counter China

U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals agreement aimed at countering China on Monday at a meeting marked by Trump's jab at Australia's envoy to the United States over past criticism. China loomed large at the first White House summit between Trump and Albanese, with the U.S. president also backing a strategic nuclear-powered submarine deal with Australia to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific. While Trump and Albanese greeted each...

October 20, 2025 1:58 PM

Australia’s weather bureau casts doubt on prospects for La Nina

Australia's weather bureau is not convinced that a La Nina weather pattern is forming that could change rainfall patterns and bring wilder weather to parts of the Americas, Asia and Oceania, affecting crop production, a senior climatologist said. La Nina, and its analogue, El Nino, are caused by the cooling or warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific. The former typically brings greater rainfall to eastern Australia, Southeast Asia and India with drier wea...

October 19, 2025 1:57 PM

Australia defends plan to send deportees to tiny Pacific nation of Nauru

Australia on Sunday defended a A$2.5 billion ($1.62 billion) deal to deport hundreds of non-citizens to the tiny Pacific nation of Nauru over the next 30 years, a plan criticised by human rights groups. Australia's centre-left Labor government in September signed the deal with Nauru to resettle people denied refugee visas because of criminal convictions, reviving claims that Australia was "dumping" refugees in small island states. On Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said 30-year visas ...

October 16, 2025 8:19 PM

India-Australia deepen energy partnership at 5th Energy Dialogue in Delhi

India and Australia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy cooperation during the 5th India-Australia Energy Dialogue, held in New Delhi on Thursday. The meeting was co-chaired by Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal and Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen. Senior officials from Power Ministry, New and Renewable Energy Ministry, Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, Mines Ministry, and Coal Ministry participated in the discussions. T...