Perth enters three-day lockdown after COVID outbreak, and more in News in 5.

Perth enters three-day lockdown after COVID outbreak.

Metropolitan Perth and the Peel region will go into a three-day lockdown from midnight on Friday after a hotel quarantine outbreak led to community transmission.

Premier Mark McGowan says the lockdown is a necessary measure after two people, including a man who stayed in the hotel and completed quarantine before flying to Melbourne, spent days in the community while infectious.

Anzac Day dawn services will be cancelled and all people in the affected regions must wear masks when leaving their homes from 6pm on Friday.

"I know this is hard to take and I wish we didn't need to be doing this," Mr McGowan told reporters.

"But we can't take any chances with the virus. We just can't."

The Mercure, which will no longer accept returned travellers, is one of three Perth quarantine hotels deemed to be of "high-risk" for ventilation issues.

Genomic testing has confirmed the virus spread in the corridors of the hotel from a couple who had returned from India.

A pregnant mother and her four-year-old daughter who were staying across the corridor tested positive and remain in quarantine at the hotel.

Victorian authorities on Friday confirmed a man who was staying in the room adjacent to the couple had also tested positive.

The man, who is asymptomatic, arrived in Melbourne on Wednesday after completing 14 days of quarantine at the hotel.

The premier on Thursday announced the Mercure would no longer accommodate returned overseas travellers.

It will instead transition to a "low-risk" quarantine hotel for a flight-load of seasonal workers expected to arrive from Tonga and Vanuatu next month.

Documents released by the government have revealed the extent to which it was aware of risk factors at its quarantine hotels.

Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson received a report on April 8 which identified three hotels - the Mercure, the Sheraton Four Points and Novotel Langley - as being "high risk" for ventilation issues.

Dr Robertson wrote to the premier last Friday advising that the Mercure was the highest-risk of the three hotels and it should no longer accommodate returned travellers.

The mother, who is six months' pregnant, and her daughter at the Mercure returned positive tests that day.

In his letter to the premier, Dr Robertson said the risks could be mitigated by changes such as installing HEPA air filters in rooms with positive cases.

"Assessment of the three higher risk hotels indicates that the Mercure Hotel is probably the most difficult to mitigate, given positive pressure rooms, opening windows and the age of the facility," he wrote.

"The other two higher risk hotels (Four Points Sheraton, Novotel Langley) are easier to mitigate utilising measures already implemented and the recommended measures."

The ventilation report was commissioned after a security guard at the Sheraton contracted COVID-19 in January, prompting a five-day lockdown.

World leaders, except Australia, pledge to lower emissions.

The United States and other countries have hiked their targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions at a global climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden, but Australia has refused to budge.

Biden unveiled the goal to cut emissions by 50 to 52 per cent from 2005 levels at the start of a two-day climate summit kicked off on Earth Day and attended virtually by leaders of 40 countries including big emitters China, India and Russia.

"This is the decade we must make decisions that will avoid the worst consequences of the climate crisis," Biden said at the White House.

Australia's current target is to cut emissions by 26 to 28 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, a goal reportedly described as "insufficient" by the Biden administration on Thursday. 

The United States and other countries have hiked their targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions at a global climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden. Australia made no new pledges. https://t.co/ewEsRJjLCQ

— SBS News (@SBSNews) April 22, 2021

Morrison said Australia would "update our long-term emissions reduction strategy" later in the year but again avoided putting a timeframe on the nation's "pathway to net-zero" or pledge deeper emissions cuts, as countries around him made stronger commitments.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who visited Biden at the White House this month, raised Japan's target for cutting emissions to 46 per cent by 2030, up from 26 per cent.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, raised his country's goal to a cut of 40 to 45 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels, up from 30 per cent.

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro announced his most ambitious environmental goal yet, saying the country would reach emissions neutrality by 2050, 10 years earlier than the previous goal.

"We can do better": Queensland cop on Kelly Wilkinson's death.

Slain mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson repeatedly told Queensland police she was in danger and even got domestic violence support workers to reiterate her fears before she was set on fire in her backyard.

Police first learned of Ms Wilkinson's fears about her estranged partner Brian Earl Johnston in late March when she detailed treatment that spanned "weeks, and months", and possibly longer.

Johnston is being treated in hospital for burns and has been charged with murder and breaching bail conditions. Police say he is also facing a range of other serious charges.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd says the review would run alongside but separate to a coronial investigation and the criminal investigation currently underway. #9Newshttps://t.co/KyEvi74zhQ

— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) April 22, 2021

Ms Wilkinson, 27, twice went to police stations on or before April 11 to raise concerns about her safety, Gold Coast District Superintendent Rhys Wildman said on Thursday.

But she also reached out to domestic violence support services, who contacted police on her behalf two days later to reiterate how fearful she was.

Police said they were unaware that a second meeting sought by support workers had been scheduled, but Ms Wilkinson was killed before that could happen. They also didn't know about her family's claims that they had also gone to police.

Assistant Commissioner Brian Codd, who leads Queensland Police's new domestic violence task force, said police would never be able to prevent every domestic violence death, but any death was a failure.

"She engaged with the system, with us, and we were unable to prevent this from occurring," he told reporters.

Mr Codd said there must be better ways to pick up on early indicators and intervene.

"We can do better," he said.

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Vaccine rollout reset for over-50s.

All over-50s will be able to get the AstraZeneca vaccine from next month as the nation's leaders reset the coronavirus jab rollout.

The move comes as health authorities seek to make best use of supplies of the Pfizer vaccine to finish off the first phases of the rollout - which have fallen well short of predicted timeframes - and move into a broader phase.

Australia’s troubled vaccine rollout rejigged to offer over-50s AstraZeneca jabs from May https://t.co/g1GBAYT2EV

— The Guardian (@guardian) April 22, 2021

Earlier this month the AstraZeneca jab was linked to rare but deadly blood clots, and was not recommended to Australians under 50.

In order to ramp up the rollout, Australians over-50 can get the AstraZeneca jab at state and territory facilities and GP respiratory clinics from May 3, before all GP clinics have them from May 17.

Nearly 1.8 million Australians have now been vaccinated, with about 60,000 doses administered each day.

Murder-suicide suspected in SA wall deaths.

The deaths of a man and his young daughter, who fell from a dam wall in South Australia, are being treated as a murder-suicide, police say.

Henry Shepherdson, 38, was seen by witnesses to jump from the Whispering Wall at Williamstown on Wednesday afternoon while holding nine-month-old Kobi in a child carrier.

Mr Shepherdson was found dead at the base of the wall and although the girl was helped by people who came to her aid and treated by paramedics, she also died at the scene.

This is 9 month old Kobi. She was strapped to her father’s chest when he jumped off the Whispering Wall Reservoir at Williamstown yesterday afternoon. Neither survived the almost 40 metre drop. This pic was Kobi’s mum’s favourite of her beloved daughter. #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/sPcVJzoyww

— Tim Yeatman (@TimYeatman) April 22, 2021

Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said there was some history of domestic violence in the family, but Mr Shepherdson had lawful access to his daughter.

He said the mother was not present at the dam but had called the police emergency line within a short time of witnesses also calling triple zero.

Mr Parrott said it was now a matter of "unpacking" what led to the deaths with the investigation expected to be complex.

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Ex-Block star not guilty of extortion.

A former The Block star has been found not guilty of extorting money from a sex client.

Suzi Taylor and co-accused "enforcer" Ali Ebrahimi have been cleared on extortion charges, deprivation of liberty, fraud and assault for attacking the man at an apartment in an inner-city Brisbane suburb in the early hours of October 30, 2019.

Taylor could not hold back tears as the decision was handed down.

#BREAKING: A jury has found former reality TV star Suzi Taylor and her co-accused not guilty of all charges after an escort date gone wrong. https://t.co/HzoxkYoEo8

— news.com.au (@newscomauHQ) April 22, 2021

After four days of evidence and the sacking of Ebrahimi's legal team, the jury struggled for more than 10 hours before finally reaching a verdict on Thursday afternoon.

They twice sought direction from Judge Suzanne Sheridan before handing down their decision on Thursday afternoon.

The jury rejected key testimony from "victim" David Butler, who admitted on the stand that he had lied to police and the court. 

Mr Butler claimed Taylor invited him into her bedroom, kissed him and took off her shirt before saying: "If you want this to continue and go any further, you have to give me some money".

The night ended with Mr Butler claiming he had tied up and held against his will, and Ebrahimi, 24, acting as an enforcer, the prosecution alleged. Ebrahimi stormed into the bedroom, grabbed Mr Butler by the throat before punching and kicking him, he claimed. 

Mr Butler's hands were fastened tightly behind his back, and he claimed to have been repeatedly assaulted by Taylor and Ebrahimi over several hours.

In key testimony, Mr Butler admitted lying to police and the court, claiming he didn't know Taylor was an escort, deleting messages and claiming he and The Block star had been chatting for weeks over a dating site.

The prosecution conceded Mr Butler was "simply unwilling to be upfront and forthcoming that he went to pay for an escort service" because he was embarrassed and ashamed.

Christensen to quit, says Australian politics broken.

Outspoken MP George Christensen has used his impending retirement from federal parliament to condemn the "broken" state of Australian politics.

The Queensland Liberal National MP on Thursday announced he would not re-contest his seat of Dawson at the next election so he can spend more time with his family, ending his controversial career in federal politics.

He also expressed his frustration with the inability of Australia's "broken" political system to make progress on conservative causes including enshrining religious liberties, safeguarding strategic assets from China and installing coal-fired power.

George Christensen quits politics, expresses frustration at lack of progress on conservative causes https://t.co/E3zVqwmhO6

— ABC News (@abcnews) April 22, 2021

Christensen came under fire for spending 294 days in the Philippines between 2014 and 2018 and later repaid more than $2,000 after questions were raised about taxpayer-funded domestic travel being used to link up with overseas flights to the southeast Asian nation.

Mr Christensen also courted controversy in early 2018, refusing to apologise for a Facebook post showing him pointing a gun alongside the comment: "You gotta ask yourself, do you feel lucky, greenie punks?"

Crowd boost at MCG in time for Anzac Day.

Up to 85,000 people will be allowed into the MCG for two blockbuster AFL games this weekend, with the Victorian government lifting crowd numbers at three Melbourne venues.

Capacity has been capped at 75 per cent in Victoria for the past month, but that will increase to 85 per cent.

The Victorian Government has increased crowd capacity at the MCG in time for Anzac Day 🏟️

Full details ⬇️

— AFL (@AFL) April 22, 2021

Health authorities declined requests for restrictions at sporting venues to be scrapped altogether.

But the increase of 10,000 comes in time for Saturday night's mammoth clash between undefeated Melbourne and reigning premiers Richmond, as well as the traditional Anzac Day match involving Collingwood and Essendon.

John Cain Arena and AAMI Park will also move to 85 per cent capacity, but it will remain at 75 per cent for Marvel Stadium and Geelong's GMHBA Stadium.

Hundreds attend Daunte Wright's funeral in Minneapolis.

Daunte Wright, the young Black man shot by police during a traffic stop in suburban Minneapolis, is being remembered at a funeral just two days after a former police officer was convicted in the death of George Floyd.

Hundreds of mourners wearing face masks packed into Shiloh Temple International Ministries to remember Wright, a 20-year-old father of one who was shot by a police officer on April 11 in the small city of Brooklyn Center.

The Reverend Al Sharpton was to deliver the eulogy and told the Associated Press that he would first pay tribute to Wright, "a young man just at the beginning of life, full of life".

Funeral services are held for Daunte Wright, who was shot by a police officer during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. https://t.co/S84jASMTsi

— ABC News (@ABC) April 22, 2021

He said he would also use his remarks to remind those in attendance or watching from afar that the fight for justice didn't end when white former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter for holding a knee to Floyd's neck, choking off his breathing until he went limp last May.

"We should not think that, because we won one battle with Chauvin, the war is over, or that if we do not get justice for this case, that we will undo what we were able to do with George Floyd," Sharpton said.

"This is round two, and we must win this round."

India grapples with coronavirus 'storm'.

Indian authorities are scrambling to shore up supplies of medical oxygen to hospitals in the capital, New Delhi, as a fast-spreading second wave of coronavirus stretched medical infrastructure to breaking point.

India, the world's second most populous country, is reporting the world's highest number of new daily cases and approaching a peak of about 297,000 cases in one day that the United States hit in January.

New Delhi's government issued a call for help on social media on Wednesday saying major government hospitals only had enough oxygen to last another eight to 24 hours while some private ones had enough for just four or five hours.

As India posted world record of COVID cases funeral pyres of people, who died due to the coronavirus disease were pictured at a crematorium ground in New Delhi, April 22, 2021. @Reuters #CovidIndia pic.twitter.com/bm5Qx5SEOm

— Danish Siddiqui (@dansiddiqui) April 22, 2021

One hospital, the GTB hospital, got some oxygen supplies just before it was going to run out of stocks for its 500 patients, media reported.

"We had almost lost hope. All of us were in tears when we saw the oxygen tanker arrive," one relieved doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told India Today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India faced a coronavirus "storm" overwhelming its health system.

Around the world.

- 1,800 people have been arrested at rallies organised by allies of hunger-striking Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny over his failing health in jail. 

- Europe experienced its hottest day on record last year as climate change impacts intensified. 

— With AAP

Feature Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas/7News/Today Show.