Victoria has called in the troops to halt the march of coronavirus. An appeal has gone out to the military and other states to help contain a surge in Covid-19 cases.
The state has seen a spike in infections in the past week, with another 20 cases and a death recorded on Wednesday. There are fears that people in hot spots who do not speak English are not getting the message.
Meanwhile, it was a bleak day for women in today's headline stories.
A coroner's report found Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy was the victim of a homicidal and "heinous act" at the hands of her ex-partner, who then tried to cover it up by stuffing the 32-year-old's body into a suitcase in her car. Hours later her murderer Tamworth man Harshwardhan Narde took his own life. Reddy had suffered blunt-force head injuries and stab wounds to her neck and back.
Meanwhile, in high places, the ACT's director of public prosecutions has recommended police investigate former High Court judge Dyson Heydon after an independent inquiry found he had sexually harassed six court associates. The Heydon case has put pressure on the legal profession to get its house in order.
It has been revealed the Morrison government felt no need to consult women regarding the advancement of women when the department responsible for advising the PM on women's policy was excluded from consultations about a $150 million program to improve female participation in community sports.
Opposition spokeswoman on women Julie Collins said the government's exclusion of the Office for Women exposed the grant program for what it really was - a sports rort designed to help the government's re-election prospects.
The media was again making news with about 150 jobs are to be axed in a major shake-up at the ABC that will also see funding for independent productions slashed as it seeks to plug a $40 million a-year budget shortfall. The ABC said it was aiming to focus more on digital news services.
Speaking of digital services, a 17-year-old boy Warrnambool is accused of using cryptocurrency to buy drugs on the dark web. He has been charged with 15 offences, including being in possession of drugs to the value of $20,000.
Today marks 10 years since Australia's first female prime minister Julia Gillard came to power.
Confirmed coronavirus cases world wide 9,006,757. Global deaths 469,220.
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