The Northern Territory election still remains too close to call despite Labor securing 11 of the 25 seats in Parliament - two short of forming a majority. Nine seats are still in doubt, with absentee and postal votes yet to be counted. Labor leader Michael Gunner says he is “very confident” that his party will retain government, having won enough seats to form at least a minority government.

New South Wales and the ACT have been hit with a late winter cold spell, with warnings issued for potential blizzards and avalanches. The states are experiencing heavy snow fall, with areas such as the Blue Mountains, Oberon, Orange, Snowy Mountains and surrounding parts currently coated in snow. Agata Imielska, manager of The Bureau of Meteorology for NSW and the ACT, has advised residents to be careful in the affected areas and to take caution.

Queensland’s ongoing water scarcity issues have prompted experts to call for a re-evaluation of the state’s dam network. Two-thirds of the state remains drought-declared, with inland towns such as Stanthorpe relying on water being trucked in daily. SEQ Water has urged urban residents to watch their water usage, with the water grid approaching 60 percent capacity.

Nine COVID-19 cases are now affiliated with the Detention Centre cluster, where an employee was confirmed with the virus last week. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has addressed that over 200 of the 500 staff at the Centre have returned negative test results, and over 110 youths have tested negative. Testing at the centre had become the main priority for health authorities, where it has been in lockdown since Wednesday evening.

The World Health Organisation’s Europe office reveals a surge in coronavirus cases, noting over the past few weeks there has been a steady increase in the number of active cases.

The cause of this surge is said to be linked to the provision of local services such as food production facilities and nursing homes.

With more than 22.5 million people infected worldwide, governments and leaders are urging individuals to adhere to their state’s restrictions.

Alexei Navalny - a Russian anti-corruption activist and notorious critic of Vladimir Putin - is in hospital fighting a coma after alleged tea poisoning.

Navalny was returning from Siberia when his plane had to make an emergency landing in order to have the activist sent directly to a hospital in Omsk.

Suspicions are still being investigated as to who may have targeted Navalny who remains in Omsk in a state too critical to relocate.

In light of the current pandemic, the Australian government announced an economic stimulus package of $17.6 billion to support Australian jobs, households and businesses.

According to John Wilson, traditional owner of remote Indigenous community, Peppimenarti, the release of coronavirus stimulus payments has seen a surge in alcohol consumption amongst the community.

Since 2007, the community has banned takeaway alcohol from liquor outlets align with the Northern Territory Intervention in 2007.

Emerging information in a New South Wales Health Surveillance Report about New South Wales’ Coronavirus contact tracing data indicates a high rate of transmissions emerging from clusters around the state.

Pending outbreaks appear likely to take a significant toll on healthcare workers in New South Wales if the impending outbreaks are not prepared for appropriately.