Sydney's Bondi beach -- normally packed with dressed-up surfers celebrating Christmas -- looks much emptier this year as the threat of a growing cluster of cases in northern Sydney keeps the crowds away.

The finishing touches are being put on a glitzy show at the Sydney Opera House, as the venue prepared to host an opera crowd for the first time since March. "The Merry Widow" will open on Tuesday to masked audiences up to 75 percent capacity, in a sign of hope for a performing arts industry crippled by the pandemic

Residents west of Sydney have been evacuated after unprecedented rainfall. Sixteen parts of New South Wales have been declared "disaster ridden."

President of FIFA Gianni Infantino names host cities for 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Stargazers in Sydney cast their eyes skyward to witness a rare "Super Blood Moon", as the heavens align to bring an extra-spectacular lunar eclipse. The first total lunar eclipse in two years will happen at the same time as the Moon is closest to Earth, in what astronomers say is a once-in-a-decade show.

Sydney's usually bustling harbourside restaurants are shuttered and the streets deserted as a lockdown has been extended across Australia's largest city over the Delta coronavirus variant.

The two men got lost in a forest after an encounter with a deer, prompting a phone call to police. Once found, the pair were fined for breaking stay-at-home orders by traveling outside Sydney.

Police guard the entrances of a Sydney apartment block where nine people have tested positive for Covid-19. The building was placed under strict lockdown, as authorities step up efforts to curb a coronavirus outbreak. Residents put up signs reading "send beer" and "where is the vaccine?" in the buildings' windows. Australia's latest Covid-19 outbreak began in mid-June and has since grown to 767 cases.

Australia's largest city will remain in lockdown until at least July 30. South Korea has tightened its restrictions after daily COVID cases have reached record levels. Follow DW for the latest coronavirus news.

Sydney's iconic harbour and city streets are nearly deserted as Australia's largest city reported another record number of new infections. The recent rise in cases has prompted a decision by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to suspend the quarantine-free travel bubble between the two countries for at least eight weeks.

Thousands of protesters march through Sydney railing against lockdowns, with protesters pelting mounted police with a plant pot and bottles in one of several clashes. Police made dozens of arrests from the largely unmasked protest, with chants of "freedom" and banners challenging the stay-at-home orders.

Australian authorities have extended Sydney's lockdown until August 28 after a spike in COVID cases. Meanwhile, more than half of Germany's population is now fully vaccinated. Follow DW for the latest.