1. Two million West Australians to exit lockdown today

The residents of Perth and the south-west region of Western Australia will exit strict lockdown today, with Premier Mark McGowan apologising for the hotel quarantine case that sparked the lockdown. People in Perth will still be required to wear a mask outdoors.

2. Joe Biden commits to restoring alliances

President Joe Biden declared "America is back, diplomacy is back" in a speech at the State Department on Thursday. "We will compete from a position of strength, by building back better at home, working with our allies and partners, renewing our role in international institutions, and reclaiming our credibility and moral authority," Biden said.

3. Vale to pay $9.1 billion in compensation for mining disaster

Brazilian mining company Vale has reached a 37.7 billion reais ($9.1 billion) settlement agreement following a dam collapse in 2019 that killed 270 people. The settlement includes payments to those affected by the disaster and funding for environmental projects.

4. COVID-19 sniffer dogs are 94% accurate

A veterinary clinic in Germany has trained dogs to detect the coronavirus with 94% accuracy in a study of over 1,000 samples. "So dogs can really sniff out people with infections and without infections, as well as asymptomatic and symptomatic COVID patients," said Holger Volk, head of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover.

5. Stocks up in the US

Overnight on Wall Street, the three major indexes closed higher. With four consecutive days of gains, the Dow Jones closed up 332.26 points or 1.08% to 31,055.86 and the S&P 500 rose by 41.57 points or 1.09% to 3,871.74, a record high. The Nasdaq also reached a new record after rising 41.57 points or 1.09% to 3,871.74.