National News

Victoria's state of disaster declaration and Melbourne's hard lockdown will help secure the border with NSW and curb the spread of coronavirus into the state, Premier Gladys Berejiklian says.

STAGE FOUR BUSINESS CLOSURES AND CHANGES FOR MELBOURNEOPEN FOR ON-SITE WORK WITH COVID SAFE PLAN:* Supermarkets and grocery stores including liquor shops* Fuel retailers* Pharmacies* Post offices* Hardware, building an garden supplies for trade* Specialist stationery for business use* Maternity supplies* Motor vehicle parts for emergency repairs* Locksmiths* Laundry and dry cleaners* Farms* Commercial fishing* Vet clinics, pounds and shelters* Construction of critical infrastructure and services to support those projects* Critical repairs to residential premises where required for emergency or safety* Cafes and restaurants for takeaway* Newspaper and magazine publishing, radio, television and online broadcast* Bank branches* Critical service call...

A state of disaster has been declared in Victoria, with harsh COVID-19 restrictions on movement across Melbourne and an overnight curfew to be enforced by police.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS* Another three Victorians and one NSW man have died, bringing the national death toll to 201.

President Donald Trump has said he will take action as soon as Saturday to ban TikTok, a popular Chinese-owned video app that has been a source of national security and censorship concerns.

Two major drug companies will supply the US government with 100 million doses of an experimental coronavirus vaccine, as the nation's top health agency predicted that fatalities would rise in the coming weeks.

Documents about dealings between Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein have been publicly released by a US court, where the British socialite faces criminal charges she aided the late financier's sexual abuse of girls.

Victoria's devastating coronavirus outbreak will stunt Australia's economic recovery as the death toll rises and tougher restrictions loom.

Victoria's lockdown measures could become stricter, and there is no certainty about when they will end, as coronavirus numbers remain stubbornly high.

A man involved in the "despicable" torture and killing of kangaroos on the NSW far south coast will spend at least a year behind bars.