At least 98 deaths on nation’s deadliest day

At least 98 deaths on nation’s deadliest day – as it happened

7.08am GMT

What we learned: Friday, 28 January

With that, I will send the blog on its merry way. To all those battling floods/heat/hailstones, stay safe and dry.

Here were today’s major developments:

Australia has recorded a record number of Covid deaths, with 98 fatalities nationwide and 39 in Victoria alone.
To say it mildly, there are a lot of storms about. There has been flash flooding in Victoria, SA and New South Wales; winds as strong as category two cyclones in Victoria; and power outages in SA as Melbourne was hit with the brunt of rain and hail this afternoon. A number of warnings remain in place on the Bureau of Meteorology’s website.
Pfizer booster shots have been approved for Australians aged 16 and 17. Teenagers will not be able to book in right away, that will come with Atagi advice.
Human rights advocates and union leaders have urged the Australian government to impose targeted sanctions against Myanmar’s military leaders as the first anniversary of the coup looms.
The Australian Olympic Committee has partnered with Gina Rinehart’s mining company, Hancock Prospecting.
Russia’s ambassador to Australia Alexey Pavlovsky held a rare press conference in Canberra in which he hit out at media “propaganda” and said a buildup of more than 100,000 troops near the border of Ukraine was not a sign of aggression.
WA has announced changes to close contact requirements that will come into effect when Covid-19 cases rise in the state. They are similar to those in place in SA.
Speaking of which, SA has loosened some Covid restrictions including QR mandates for retail and increasing indoor hospitality caps to 50%. More changes may be made in the coming weeks if cases continue to fall.
And prime minister Scott Morrison rebuffed Grace Tame’s smile snub at the Lodge by retorting he and Jenny “always greet guests with a smile” at their home. Note: Grace Tame was not visiting the PMs personal residence, and she was there for a formal event.