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| Australia Covid news live update: airport chaos as Christmas flights cancelled; WA to change border rules for SA and Queensland | Australia Covid news live update: airport chaos as Christmas flights cancelled; WA to change border rules for SA and Queensland |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Follow all the day’s news | Follow all the day’s news |
| Australian man Carl Stanojevic might be the world’s most considerate neighbour after he was asked to “take the bins out” and dutifully followed the request – to the letter. | |
| The practical joke began when the 54-year-old photographer from Mackay, in Queensland, received a late-night text message from his neighbour, Nick Doherty – who works remotely – asking if Stanojevic “would be able to take my bins out please”. | |
| We’ve got a video of the Christmas messages from Morrison and Albanese here: | |
| The opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has said that “after such a tough couple of years, we all deserve a happy Christmas”. | The opposition leader, Anthony Albanese, has said that “after such a tough couple of years, we all deserve a happy Christmas”. |
| Both major party leaders have recorded Christmas messages to the Australian people. I’ve taken a few lines from each. | Both major party leaders have recorded Christmas messages to the Australian people. I’ve taken a few lines from each. |
| Scott Morrison: | Scott Morrison: |
| The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has thanked the “many selfless Australians” who are “caring for others this Christmas”. | The prime minister, Scott Morrison, has thanked the “many selfless Australians” who are “caring for others this Christmas”. |
| “At the end of this year, of course, we can think of the many difficult times we’ve had and the losses that people have incurred. But Christmas, you know, is a time of hope and we are an optimistic people,” Morrison said. | “At the end of this year, of course, we can think of the many difficult times we’ve had and the losses that people have incurred. But Christmas, you know, is a time of hope and we are an optimistic people,” Morrison said. |
| He extended his support to the six families in Devonport in northern Tasmania that lost their children in the recent Hillcrest Primary School tragedy. | He extended his support to the six families in Devonport in northern Tasmania that lost their children in the recent Hillcrest Primary School tragedy. |
| “And this Christmas we’ll shed a tear and raise up prayers for them, I believe right across the country, for them that they might find some measure of comfort in this hour of their terrible grief.” | “And this Christmas we’ll shed a tear and raise up prayers for them, I believe right across the country, for them that they might find some measure of comfort in this hour of their terrible grief.” |
| He made a special thanks to the members of the defence force in the Solomon Islands and recognised it had been a hard year. | He made a special thanks to the members of the defence force in the Solomon Islands and recognised it had been a hard year. |
| “May all those who need a refreshing after what has been a difficult year, by just having a good long laugh out loud, round that Christmas table with friends and family, may you find it. May those who have been alone this year experience the warmth of companionship this Christmas. | “May all those who need a refreshing after what has been a difficult year, by just having a good long laugh out loud, round that Christmas table with friends and family, may you find it. May those who have been alone this year experience the warmth of companionship this Christmas. |
| “May those of us who have faith find great encouragement as we reflect on God’s great gift to us and his son, Jesus Christ. And may all of us experience something of the joy and the wonder of Christmas, especially our children.” | “May those of us who have faith find great encouragement as we reflect on God’s great gift to us and his son, Jesus Christ. And may all of us experience something of the joy and the wonder of Christmas, especially our children.” |
| My colleague Lisa Favazzo got some of you to share your favourite Christmas traditions, and they are a wonderful mix of weird and cute. | My colleague Lisa Favazzo got some of you to share your favourite Christmas traditions, and they are a wonderful mix of weird and cute. |
| I like Little Drummer Boy as much as the rest of us but at 6 am on full volume it is a solid no from me. | I like Little Drummer Boy as much as the rest of us but at 6 am on full volume it is a solid no from me. |
| Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly – I am back from my break and ready to roll through the last few hours with you. | Hello everyone, this is Cait Kelly – I am back from my break and ready to roll through the last few hours with you. |
| This is a cool calculator that tells you when and where you can get your booster. | This is a cool calculator that tells you when and where you can get your booster. |
| Whenever it’s quiet on the news front, you can usually rely on the Top End to come through. Today is no exception. | Whenever it’s quiet on the news front, you can usually rely on the Top End to come through. Today is no exception. |
| AAP reports that thousands of dollars worth of Christmas hams are missing, after a learner driver allegedly stole a refrigerated truck in the Northern Territory. | AAP reports that thousands of dollars worth of Christmas hams are missing, after a learner driver allegedly stole a refrigerated truck in the Northern Territory. |
| Police say about $10,000 worth of hams and the vehicle were stolen from a Darwin shopping centre car park on Thursday. | Police say about $10,000 worth of hams and the vehicle were stolen from a Darwin shopping centre car park on Thursday. |
| The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there were no hams in the refrigerator and they remain missing, a spokeswoman said. | The vehicle was later found abandoned, but there were no hams in the refrigerator and they remain missing, a spokeswoman said. |
| Detective senior sergeant Mark Bland said: | Detective senior sergeant Mark Bland said: |
| Police identified a 17-year-old boy and a man, 21, using CCTV footage, and they have been arrested and charged. | Police identified a 17-year-old boy and a man, 21, using CCTV footage, and they have been arrested and charged. |
| The teenager was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing, damage to property, driving as a learner driver unaccompanied and failing to display L-plates. | The teenager was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing, damage to property, driving as a learner driver unaccompanied and failing to display L-plates. |
| The man was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing and damage to property. | The man was charged with aggravated unlawful use of a motor vehicle, stealing and damage to property. |
| Good afternoon. | Good afternoon. |
| We’ve just launched our updated story on the thousands of Australians who have had their domestic flights cancelled in the hours leading up to Christmas, as frontline staff were ordered to test and isolate amid a rise in Covid cases. | We’ve just launched our updated story on the thousands of Australians who have had their domestic flights cancelled in the hours leading up to Christmas, as frontline staff were ordered to test and isolate amid a rise in Covid cases. |
| There were 117 domestic services cancelled on Friday between Sydney and Melbourne. | There were 117 domestic services cancelled on Friday between Sydney and Melbourne. |
| I’m just going to hand you over to Michael McGowan quickly, who’ll keep you company while I eat some lunch. | I’m just going to hand you over to Michael McGowan quickly, who’ll keep you company while I eat some lunch. |
| From AAP: | From AAP: |
| The Top End is bracing for a wet and windy Christmas with residents warned a tropical cyclone could form near Darwin on Boxing Day. | The Top End is bracing for a wet and windy Christmas with residents warned a tropical cyclone could form near Darwin on Boxing Day. |
| A monsoon trough and a tropical low are brewing north of the Tiwi Islands in the Arafura Sea, the Bureau of Meteorology says. | A monsoon trough and a tropical low are brewing north of the Tiwi Islands in the Arafura Sea, the Bureau of Meteorology says. |
| It is expected to head south towards the Northern Territory by Saturday and extend across the Top End during Sunday as the monsoon sets in. | It is expected to head south towards the Northern Territory by Saturday and extend across the Top End during Sunday as the monsoon sets in. |
| “The best guidance is that the system will cross the coast south-west of Darwin as a category one system on Monday,” senior meteorologist Shaenagh Gamble said on Friday. | “The best guidance is that the system will cross the coast south-west of Darwin as a category one system on Monday,” senior meteorologist Shaenagh Gamble said on Friday. |
| “We’re fairly certain of where it’s going.” | “We’re fairly certain of where it’s going.” |
| Darwin could be lashed by up to 100mm of rain per day with flash flooding and wind gusts of 150km/h possible. | Darwin could be lashed by up to 100mm of rain per day with flash flooding and wind gusts of 150km/h possible. |
| Communities from Point Stuart east of Darwin to Kalumburu in Western Australia have been told to remain alert and make preparations. | Communities from Point Stuart east of Darwin to Kalumburu in Western Australia have been told to remain alert and make preparations. |
| If Braithwaite can’t reactivate the CBD no one can! | If Braithwaite can’t reactivate the CBD no one can! |
| The full list of WA exposure sites can be found here. | The full list of WA exposure sites can be found here. |
| The Northern Territory has recorded one new local case of Covid-19, taking the outbreak to 132. | The Northern Territory has recorded one new local case of Covid-19, taking the outbreak to 132. |
| The case is a close contact of a previous case from Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek who was already in quarantine. | The case is a close contact of a previous case from Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek who was already in quarantine. |
| A mask mandate that is currently in place in Alice Springs and Amoonguna will lift as planned at 5pm local time. | A mask mandate that is currently in place in Alice Springs and Amoonguna will lift as planned at 5pm local time. |