Foreign tourists are welcome in Australia once again after nearly two years. Meanwhile, German officials say COVID travel restrictions will be eased early next month.

At least six people have died in floods that were sparked by heavy rainfall in the eastern state of Queensland.Scores of others have been evacuated, with authorities scrambling to respond to calls for help.

Local authorities say large parts of the Great Barrier Reef show signs of minor to severe bleaching ahead of a visit by UN officials. Their findings will impact whether the World Heritage Site status will be downgraded.

The government must commit resources to fight the most pressing "danger" of climate change, former defense officials said in an open letter. "Australia has failed when it comes to climate threats," the letter read.

Australia is caught in the middle of the US-China trade dispute, which is dominating Davos this year. Meanwhile, Australia has just booked its 27th consecutive year of growth, says Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

The prime ministers of both countries witnessed the signing of the deal in a virtual ceremony. Australia wants to curb dependence on China as its largest trading partner.

Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that a Chinese intelligence ship was not in Australia's territorial waters but its presence off the northwestern coast was "concerning."

Australia is counting down to its next federal election on May 21. The environmental crisis is high on voters' minds and smaller parties and independents are gaining momentum by riding a wave of disillusionment over the conservative coalition's lack of climate action. With a hung parliament looking likely, these minor players could force the traditional parties to do more to tackle global warming. Climate change is an increasingly hot-button issue since the country's devastating bushfires of 2019-20. Our correspondents Richelle Harrison Plesse and Gregory Plesse report.

Australia could become a "renewable energy superpower," said incoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. He is due to be sworn in just a day before a Quad summit in Tokyo.

As experts gather at a UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world is facing an "ocean emergency". In Australia, the Great Barrier Reef recently suffered another mass bleaching event, just months after a UNESCO committee recommended the World Heritage Site be listed as "in danger". The country's new left-leaning Labor government has promised to tackle global warming, but the reef's future hangs in the balance as long as Australia remains one of the world's largest exporters of fossil fuels.

Several places were hit with about a month's rain over the weekend, causing dams to overflow and waterways to break their banks. Roughly 30,000 people have been told to either leave their homes or prepare to do so.

A five-yearly report by the Australian government said the country's flora and fauna was badly affected by bush fires, drought and global warming. It warned more species could head for extinction.