Police have arrested 15 people after hundreds of protesters rallied in Melbourne's CBD against Victoria's sixth coronavirus lockdown announced hours earlier by Premier Daniel Andrews.
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Friday marks day one of the restrictions, with more than six million Victorians find themselves living under stay-at-home orders again, only 10 days after coming out of the last lockdown.
Victorians are under the same rules that applied during last month's lockdown, including the five reasons to leave home, the five-kilometre travel limit for exercise and shopping, and compulsory masks indoors and outdoors.
Protesters, some carrying placards and most not wearing masks, gathered at Flinders Street about 7pm on Thursday and moved into Swanston Street as police in masks gathered to try to disperse them.
Meanwhile Queenslanders will have a better idea on Friday if a lockdown in the southeast is likely to end, with authorities hoping for another day of no mystery cases.
The state's COVID-19 cluster has been steadily growing - 16 new locally acquired cases were reported on Thursday.
Newcastle, Hunter locked down
People in Newcastle and the Hunter region have joined Greater Sydney in lockdown after NSW suffered its darkest day of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The one-week snap lockdown was called after five new cases turned up in Newcastle and eight more were found in the Central Coast region.
It was the deadliest day of the pandemic, and recorded the highest daily number of cases.
Five people died in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday - three men in their 60s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s.
Heartbreak for Aussie teams at the Olympics; joy for Moloney
They may have created history on Thursday night, but the Matildas will return to Australian shores without a medal.
It was the first time Australia had competed for a women's football Olympic medal. However, there was no bronze in Tokyo for Tony Gustavsson's side, as the US secured a 4-3 victory at Kashima Stadium.
And straight after that there was more heartbreak.
The Kookaburras' quest for their first hockey Olympic gold medal since 2004 ended with a gutting penalty-shootout loss to fellow superpower Belgium in a pulsating Tokyo final.
The silver medal was a significant improvement on the Kookaburras' quarter-final loss at Rio 2016.
Meanwhile earlier in the day, the Australian men's basketball team led the United States by 15 in Thursday's semi-final in Tokyo, but lost their way in a disappointing 97-78 fadeout.
Unbeaten until that point, Australia will now need to oust the loser of the Slovenia-France semi-final to return with the country's first men's basketball Olympic silverware.
It will be the side's fifth third-placed Olympic playoff.
Ash Moloney has become the first-ever Australian to win an Olympic decathlon medal by claiming bronze at the Tokyo Games.
Ash Moloney owes a big debt of gratitude to his selfless training partner Cedric Dubler after becoming the third youngest Australian man to win an Olympic track and field medal with his bronze in the decathlon.
More than 15,000 mortgage, loan deferrals
Thousands of recently locked-down Australians have deferred repayments of their mortgages or business loans, new data reveals.
More than 20,000 have received hardship assistance during the recent lockdowns, according to the Australian Banking Association.
Let an Olympian show you through quarantine in the NT
Olympic gold medalist Emily Seebohm has landed back on Australian soil and has given us a glimpse into life inside the Howard Springs quarantine facility.
The Australian swimmer, 29, posted a video of her arrival at the facility on TikTok where she walked people through the NT quarantine facility.
Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona, club says
Lionel Messi is to leave FC Barcelona, with the Spanish giants blaming La Liga regulations on having made their planned deal with the Argentine impossible.
Six-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi is to leave Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract.
The La Liga club cited economic and structural obstacles to the renewal of the deal when it announced the bombshell news on Thursday.