1. Under 40s will be able to ask their doctor for the AstraZeneca vaccine

GPs will be offered indemnity under a new government scheme that will allow Australians under 60, including those under 40 who are not currently part of the vaccine rollout, to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine after a discussion with their doctor. Last night, national cabinet also agreed to make vaccinations mandatory for aged care workers and improve the vaccination and testing of quarantine workers

2. Perth and the Peel region enter lockdown

West Australia premier Mark McGowan last night announced a snap lockdown for Perth and Peel that will last until at least 12:01am on Saturday. Three cases have been detected in the Perth cluster. Sydney and Darwin also remain under strict lockdown.

3. US antitrust cases against Facebook dismissed

Lawsuits filed by the Federal Trade Commission and 48 attorneys general in the US alleging that Facebook engaged in a "systematic strategy... to eliminate threats to its monopoly" have been dismissed. US District Judge James E. Boasberg said the complaint was "legally insufficient" to prove allegations that Facebook holds a monopoly in the social networking market. Facebook shares closed up more than 4% on the back of the news.

4. Nude sunbake costs two men deer-ly

Two men have been fined for ignoring lockdown restrictions in NSW. The pair told police they had been sunbaking on a beach near Otford, south of Sydney, before a deer scared them into nearby national park where they became lost. "Not only did they require assistance from SES and police to rescue them, they also both received a ticket for $1,000," NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller said.

5. S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise to new highs as the Dow falls

At the start of the trading week in the US, the S&P 500 rose by 9.91 points or 0.23% to 4,290.61 and the Nasdaq gained 140.12 points or 0.98% to 14,500.51, both of which are new record-high closes. Meanwhile the Dow Jones dropped 150.57 points or 0.44% to 34,283.27, dragged down by Boeing and Chevron which both fell more than 3%.