Researchers in four countries will soon start a clinical trial of an unorthodox approach to the new coronavirus, Jop de Vrieze, a science journalist in Amsterdam, wrote to Science Magazine this week. They will test whether a century-old vaccine against tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial disease, can rev up the human immune system in a broad way, allowing it to better fight the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 and, perhaps, prevent infection with it altogether.

Reserve troops fanned out across fire-ravaged regions in three Australian states on Monday after a horror weekend, as the government pledged $1.4bn over two years to help recover from the devastating months-long crisis.

Social media executives could spend up to three years in prison and their firms be fined 10 percent of their turnover if they fail to quickly remove violent material from their platforms, according to a new law proposed by the Australian government. The new legislation will be presented to the parliament next week - in lawmakers' final days in power before the federal election.

Suspicious packages discovered Wednesday forced evacuations at several foreign consulates and embassies in Canberra and Melbourne. Consulates of the UK, Switzerland, US and Pakistan are among those affected, as well as reportedly several others. According to local media consulates belonging to India, South Korea, New Zealand, Greece, Italy, US and France were also targeted.

Australia has decided to formally recognise West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, but will not move its embassy from Tel Aviv until a peace settlement is achieved, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Saturday. Morrison also said his nation would ecognise a future state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, as well, but only after a deal has been reached on a two-state solution.

Federica Mogherini visited on 8 August Australia for the first time in her capacity as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/VP of the European Commission, the EU press service reported. While in Sydney, she met with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to discuss bilateral issues such as the recently launched trade negotiations and the progress made in implementing the 2017 EU-Australia Framework Agreement.