1. NSW Premier Berejiklian says 'brace for more cases'

Following a COVID-19 outbreak on Sydney's Northern Beaches that grew to 17 positive cases yesterday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said that increased testing at clinics in the region will likely result in a further increase. "I’m asking everybody to brace themselves for more cases today," Berejiklian said on Sky News.

2. Aussie dollar reaches two-and-a-half year high

The Australian dollar has continued to rally from a low of just over 55 US cents in mid-March to reach above 76 US cents overnight, the highest level for the currency since June 2018. The Aussie is currently at 76.25 US cents.

3. French President tests positive

The president of France, Emmanuel Macron, has joined the list of world leaders including US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson that have tested positive for COVID-19. There are concerns for the leaders of 25 other European countries who all attended a summit with Macron last week, along with the leaders of Portugal and Spain who met with him separately this week.

4. Hawk! The herald angels sing...

Louise Anderson of Ellon in Aberdeenshire, Scotland was surprised to find a new decoration perched on top of her Christmas tree earlier this week: a sparrowhawk that had flown in to her house through an open door. "It just sat there on the Christmas tree, it was very calm, but I was concerned for its safety so phoned for help," Anderson told the BBC. The bird was eventually caught and released with assistance from police and a local animal rescue centre.

5. Wall Street rises to record levels again

The Dow Jones has snapped back from its losses yesterday to post a new record-high close, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq continued to rise on Thursday and also reached new records at the close. The Dow was up 148.33 points or 0.49% to 30,303.37, the S&P 500 gained 21.31 points or 0.58% to 3,722.48 and the Nasdaq rose by 106.56 points or 0.84% to 12,764.74.