Australia

At an earnings announcement, Seven, which owns a free-to-air television network and the main metro newspaper in the city of Perth, said it would supply content for Google's News Showcase platform. It did not disclose terms.

The deal shows Seven splitting from rivals News Corp and Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd which have failed to reach agreements with Google and instead backed laws, set to be passed this week, where the government sets the online giant's content fees in the absence of a private deal.

The trans-Tasman bubble was set up so people could fly from New Zealand to Australia without needing to spend 14 days in a hotel.

However, Australia's expert medical panel made a decision late on Sunday night to change the system.

It means any New Zealanders that fly into Australia from Monday will have to spend a fortnight in hotel quarantine.

The new rule will remain in place for the next three days before the situation is reassessed.

The new bilateral agreement replaces the tripartite agreement between Tonga, Australia and New Zealand that was known as the Tonga Police Development Programme (TPDP) that commenced in 2008 and ended in June 2020.

At the signing ceremony yesterday (Thursday) Minister of Police, Lord Nuku said he was very grateful for the support given by the Australian Government through the Australia Federal Police and was thankful for Australia’s future commitment working together with Tonga Police.

The travel arrangements were paused after a Kiwi woman infected with the highly contagious South African variant of Covid-19 travelled to about 30 locations in New Zealand before testing positive.

The initial 72-hour suspension was extended on Thursday, but flights will now recommence this afternoon.

There were no new community cases reported in New Zealand today.

South Australia and Queensland will remove their travel restrictions on Sunday and Monday respectively.

It comes after NSW reported 11 days without a locally acquired infection.

About 180 cases were tied to the Sydney cluster, which emerged just before Christmas and prompted nationwide travel bans on the city's residents.

"Credit to New South Wales. They got on top of their cases," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday.

King Tupou VI commissioned the new Guardian Class Patrol Boats VOEA Ngahau Siliva at Masefield Navy Base, Touliki Wednesday.

A release said the vessel was donated to Tonga under Australia’s Pacific Maritime Security Programme which committed $2 billion to the Pacific and Timor-Leste over 30 years.

Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, Adrian Morrison said, “Siliva joins her sister vessel, the VOEA Ngahau Koula, which His Majesty commissioned in October 2019. Together Siliva and Koula represent a significant security capability for Tonga.”

All New Zealanders who arrive in Australia will have to quarantine for up to 14 days.

Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt says this has been done "out of an abundance of caution" after a person tested positive in New Zealand with the South African variant.

The infected person visited at least 30 locations.

The changes come into effect immediately.

All passengers from New Zealand with a safe zone flight scheduled in the next 72 hours should reconsider their need to travel.

A large blaze has been contained in Adelaide, South Australia after it burned through 2,500 hectares.

Neighbouring Victoria state is facing its worst fire risk in a year.

Temperatures in those states have started to cool but New South Wales and Queensland will see their heatwave continue into Tuesday.

Sydney recorded temperatures of above 40C by Monday afternoon.

Health officials have urged people to stay inside and to avoid physical activity, and for those near bushfires to avoid inhaling smoke.

A large blaze brought an emergency warning to Adelaide in South Australia on Monday, while neighbouring Victoria faced its worst fire risk in a year.

Victoria's capital Melbourne reached 30C by 07.30 local time (20.30 Sunday GMYT) ahead of an expected 40C maximum.

Temperatures in Sydney were also forecast to exceed 30C for a third day.

Health officials have urged people to stay inside and to avoid physical activity, and for those near bushfires to avoid inhaling smoke.

Australia is introducing a world-first law to make Google, Facebook and potentially other tech companies pay media outlets for their news content.

But the US firms have fought back, warning the law would make them withdraw some of their services.

Australian PM Scott Morrison said lawmakers would not yield to "threats".

Australia is far from Google's largest market, but the proposed news code is seen as a possible global test case for how governments could seek to regulate big tech firms.