NSW residents can’t just go for a drive during this period of social distancing, with the state’s top cop saying it’s not a reasonable excuse for being out and about. It comes after a learner driver was slapped with a $1652 fine – later revoked – in Victoria as she drove with her mother in the passenger seat. NSW Police …

Cardinal George Pell will be released from prison after the country’s highest court quashed his child sexual abuse convictions. The decision has been handed down less than a month after the High Court of Australia heard two days of intense legal arguments from the Cardinal’s lawyers and Victorian prosecutors. The full bench’s ruling was handed down by Chief Justice Susan Kiefel …

Wuhan residents believe up to 18 times the number of people died in their city from coronavirus than authorities are reporting. The seven funeral homes serving Wuhan have reportedly been running nonstop recently, prompting one resident to say “anyone with any ability to think” knows officials are lying about the death toll. China announced 2,535 deaths in Wuhan – the …

NSW Police Minister David Elliott has assured domestic violence victims they will still be able to access essential services during the coronavirus outbreak. There has been no recorded increase in domestic violence incidents so far, but authorities have concerns about potential victims being trapped in houses with their alleged abusers. “All the ingredients for a tinderbox situation are there. We’ve seen a …

An employee at a McDonald’s in western Sydney has tested positive for coronavirus but only 20 of the 100 staff at the restaurant were notified. Employees have been left “angry and confused” and have turned down shifts out of fear. One staff member at the Gregory Hills restaurant, who asked to remain anonymous, said they believed there was no choice …

Businesses will receive a fortnightly wage subsidy up to $1,500 per employee as part of a Federal Government bid to prevent millions of people from losing their jobs to the coronavirus pandemic. The subsidy is the central plank in a $130 billion economic stimulus package, the third and largest package the Government has announced in response to the coronavirus. Prime …

The health of Australians stuck at home is the focus of a $1.1 billion package to boost telehealth and tackle the hidden side effects of the pandemic such as domestic violence. All Australians will be able to consult a GP from home under expanded access to telehealth services such as phone consultations or video-conferencing. More money will go to domestic …

US President Donald Trump says he is considering sealing off New York and parts of neighbouring states in response to the worsening coronavirus crisis. “There’s a possibility that sometime today we’ll do a quarantine, short-term, two weeks on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut,” Trump said on Saturday before departing the White House. He said New York …

Tough new quarantine rules will force all international travellers arriving in Australia into a two-week isolation period in a hotel. It means Australians returning home will not be allowed to complete the mandatory 14-day self-isolation period at home, but will instead be taken straight to a state-run quarantine centre. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said more than two-thirds of Australia’s known …

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self isolating but will still lead the government’s response to the outbreak. “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus,” Johnson said. “I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.” …