The death toll from the coronavirus in Italy has jumped by more than 100 in 24 hours as a quarter of the country goes into lockdown. In an extraordinary measure 14 provinces in the north of the country have been placed in quarantine. In France gatherings of more than one thousand people have been banned. Back home, an 82 year old man has become the third Australian to die from COVID-19. He contracted the virus at a Sydney aged care centre where another resident also died.
The search is continuing for survivors after a hotel collapsed in China, killing at least 10 people. The building was being used as a coronavirus quarantine site in the south-east city of Quanzhou. Rescuers have been pulling survivors from the rubble since Saturday night.
One of Australia's biggest charities, World Vision, has asked Victoria police to investigate claims of a multi-million dollar corruption scandal. Nine's newspapers are reporting allegations that a printing company contracted by the charity made payments, and provided other perks, to the father of a World Vision executive. The charity's director of content, Zane Karumoto, has been temporarily suspended pending an investigation. But there is no suggestion he knew of any wrongdoing regarding his father.
Food and other essential supplies have had to be flown in to outback Queensland where towns have been cut off by flood waters. Thargomindah in the state's south west received record rainfall last week. And flood waters are continuing to flow, with the Bulloo River expected to peak today. Helicopters have dropped supplies to remote properties, while boats delivered tinned food to restock the local pub.