The mask mandate will be extended to Western Australia's South-West region from 6pm, as the Australian Medical Association calls for coronavirus restrictions to be ramped up amid the apparent spread of the Omicron variant.

Women's world number one Ash Barty hits the ground running at Melbourne Park, dropping just one game in her first-round thrashing of Lesia Tsurenko on Rod Laver Arena.

Shadow Home Affairs Minister Kristina Keneally says Scott Morrison cannot be a "wolf … acting all tough" to Novak Djokovic and then "be a lamb" when it comes to his own party room. 

Oxfam urges governments to consider a 99 per cent, one-off tax on the COVID-19 wealth gains, as its new report reveals that while 99 per cent of humanity is now worse off, "billionaires have had a terrific pandemic".

While authorities are still working to fully assess the damage from the eruption of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai volcano, it seems many places that felt its effects have been spared widespread damage.

While Scott Morrison did not provide any assurances, he noted there was a possibility the tennis star could return sooner "under the right circumstances".

The toll from the eruption of a huge undersea volcano in Tonga remains unclear with Australia and New Zealand sending surveillance flights to assess the damage.

The mother of missing girl Charlise Mutten is expected to be interviewed by police today as homicide detectives join an extensive search for the nine-year-old in the Blue Mountains.

An expectant young mother diagnosed with COVID-19 expresses frustration at the standard of care, and the supply of meals, before and after her arrival at an Adelaide medi-hotel.

The ACCC refers evidence of significant price hikes on COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to the Australian Federal Police — with some reports claiming kits are selling for up to $70 each.

NSW is preparing for a peak in the Omicron wave this week which will put further pressure on the strained health system, with 200 people now receiving treatment in intensive care units.

Elcho Island is sent into a seven-day lockdown while Yirrkala has been locked down for 72 hours after a spate of local cases. There are now 39 people in hospital with the virus, including one in ICU.

The charger, powered by vegetable oil, plugs a 720-kilometre gap between proposed fast chargers in WA and SA, described as "one of the final frontiers" for Australia's growing number of battery-powered vehicles.

Former president Petro Poroshenko is accused of being involved in the sale of large amounts of coal that helped finance Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine in 2014-15 — allegations he says are politically motivated.

The colourful and constantly changing sky over Queensland had many people reaching for their cameras this morning. 

Counterterrorism police arrest two teenagers in Manchester in relation to an attack in the United States, in which a British man held four people hostage for 10 hours before being shot dead by a SWAT team.

Aleksandar Vukic's four-set ambush of Lloyd Harris is one of the early highlights of the Australian Open, while another Aussie hopeful lost in straight sets.

The Facebook page, which is affiliated to Russia's foreign ministry, was taken down on Friday for publishing "illegal content".

Woolworths suspends the sale of meat processed through an SA abattoir where asymptomatic COVID-positive employees were instructed to keep working. 

Patients who don't need urgent medical care for COVID-19 are tying up the health system, with some seeking emergency help for non-life-threatening symptoms or calling triple-0 for general health advice.

A tirade on social media from Novak Djokovic's father leads a national outcry over the treatment of the deported tennis star.

Caroline Poulsen Nakao is among thousands of Tongans in Australia worried about the fate of family members in her home country who she has been unable to contact since Saturday.

Novak Djokovic's countrymen passionately express their support for the men's world number one after he was denied the chance to contest the Australian Open.

The brother of former Australian cricket captain Tim Paine lashes cricket officials over their handling of the Tasmanian's treatment following the texting affair, saying he deserved a home town Ashes send-off against England in Hobart. ...

As reaction to Novak Djokovic's deportation continues to dominate headlines, the Australian Open gets underway at Melbourne Park, with Naomi Osaka and Rafael Nadal among the first-round winners.