They say morale 'has never been lower'.

Michael Pezzullo, the secretary of the powerful home affairs department, will make way for a new acting head during the investigation.

Australia closed its international borders and locked down cities among other restrictions that helped keep infections and deaths far below levels in other comparable developed economies such as the US and Britain.

Several regions have been given high fire danger ratings as authorities warned high winds could whip up bushfires and urged residents to minimise fire risks at their houses.

The heatwave has also elevated the risks of fires with several regions given 'high' fire danger ratings, and authorities urging residents to prepare for bushfires.

A series of cases where former military pilots living in Australia had worked for a South African flight school training Chinese pilots, which the US alleges are Chinese military pilots, has prompted the crackdown.

This comes amid rising security challenges in the region, including in the South China Sea.

A new code drafted by the industry giants at the government's request will require search engines to ensure that such content is not returned in search results, reports say.

Relations between the two countries were virtually frozen for years over various issues including an Australian call for an international inquiry into the origins of Covid-19.

The claim brings a new element to a controversy surrounding the Australian Labor government's relationship with Qantas which had lobbied against a Qatar Airways request to increase its flights.

Satellite photos and a video show a large part of the stern of the yacht torn away.

The joint exercises, a first for the two nations, come amid renewed tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.