• Pop-up clinics at Brickworks and Kurralta Park after quarantine breach
• Teenager charged over crash near Mount Gambier that left three dead
• Australia looks to WTO to resolve China exports dispute
• Victoria and NSW extend virus-free streak
• SA businesses renew call for compensation
• SA man drowns after falling off rocks
• HomeBuilder extended at reduced rate
• LNP wins Groom federal by-election
• Iran vows retaliation for scientist death
• Tigray operation is complete: Ethiopian PM
• Thunder thrash Stars to win second Women’s Big Bash title

Pop-up clinics at Brickworks and Kurralta Park after quarantine breach

South Australia’s chief health officer Nicola Spurrier on Sunday urged the public to abide by a new coronavirus alert for anyone who attended a range of sites visited by a COVID-19 positive case who breached his quarantine conditions.

The man in his thirties was self-quarantining after attending the Intensive English Language Institute at Flinders University, but went out after receiving an initial negative test.

“It has, quite frankly, posed a very significant risk for us in South Australia,” Spurrier said.

In a subsequent test he tested positive, prompting authorities to issue an alert for a range of locations.

The man was one of two new COVID-19 cases recorded on Saturday, with the other a child from the original family at the centre of the Parafield cluster.

The issue dominated the daily COVID-19 update on Sunday, with the state recording no new cases.

Spurrier expressed disappointment that the man had breached his quarantine conditions, but also expressed gratitude that he had provided a comprehensive explanation of what sites he had visited.

She said it would be up to police to decide whether penalties should be applied.

Anyone who has visited the below locations during the listed times should seek testing immediately, even if they do not have any symptoms:

• Flinders University Sturt Campus, Bedford Park – 13 November to 28 November

• Big W Brickworks, Torrensville – Sunday 22 November 12.15 pm – 12.50 pm

• Foodland Norwood, Norwood – Sunday 22 November 1.20 pm – 2 pm

• Kmart, Kurralta Park – Sunday 22 November 2.45 pm – 3.10 pm

Anyone who has visited the below locations during the listed times should monitor for symptoms and get tested immediately if symptoms appear.

• On The Run, Hilton – Sunday 22 November 12.05 pm – 12.15 pm

• Anaconda, Mile End – Sunday 22 November 12.55 pm – 1.05 pm

• Guzman y Gomez, Glandore – Sunday 22 November 2.45 pm – 2.50 pm

• Glenelg Boost Juice Shop, Glenelg – Sunday 22 November 3.20 pm – 3.30pm

Spurrier also urged the general public to get tested if they are experiencing symptoms, announcing that pop-up testing clinics will open this afternoon at Big W Brickworks and Kmart Kurralta Park.

She said plans to ease restrictions on private functions were still set to go ahead on Tuesday, but urged event organisers to ask attendees if they had visited any areas of concern.

Testing rates dropped significantly over the preceding days, with Spurrier suggesting that hot weather was partly to blame.

She also revealed that more than 2,000 people are emerging from quarantine after returning their second negative test and completing 14 days in isolation from the initial Parafield outbreak.

Teenager charged over crash near Mount Gambier that left three dead

A teenage driver has been charged over a head-on collision between two vehicles on the Princes Highway which left three dead and five injured.

The accident happened at Suttontown, 5 kilometres west of Mount Gambier, early on Saturday afternoon.

Two women aged 57 and 77 and an 80-year-old man all from Millicent travelling in a Ford Territory all died at the scene. They were all members of the same family.

Four occupants in a Toyota Landcruiser, the 16-year-old driver, 48-year-old woman, a 13-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl, were all taken to the local hospital for non-life threatening injuries and the fifth occupant, a 48-year-old Millicent woman, was airlifted to the Flinders Medical Centre where she remains in a serious but stable condition.

The 16-year-old was arrested and charged with caused death by dangerous driving.

He was bailed to appear in the Mount Gambier Youth Court in February.

Princes Highway was closed between Sassanowsky Road and Kangaroo Flat Road for several hours.

Major crash investigators attended the scene, with anyone who may have witnessed the crash asked to call Crime Stoppers.

The accident brings the death toll on South Australia’s roads to 85 for 2020, compared to 101 at this time last year.

Australia looks to WTO to resolve China exports dispute

Australia will continue with plans to take China to the World Trade Organization over barley exports, according to Trade Minister Simon Birmingham.

The move comes after federal government appeals through China’s domestic systems failed to overturn tariffs placed on the barley industry, as a result of “an ongoing anti-dumping and countervailing duties investigation”.

Birmingham told ABC’s Insiders that said the World Trade Organization appeal was the next step. “I expect that will be the outcome,” he said.

It comes as China adds Australian winemakers to the export hitlist, with the sector now facing tariffs of up to 212 per cent on their products.

The Chinese Government announced the measures would take effect from Saturday, striking a blow to the $1.2 billion a year industry.

China accused Australian winemakers of selling at less than the cost of production, harming the Chinese wine industry.

The country has launched an investigation into the issue, but it is not due to finish until next year.

Victoria and NSW extend virus-free streak

Victoria has recorded its 30th consecutive day without a new COVID-19 case, having last week reached the benchmark for eliminating the virus.

The state recorded no new cases, no active cases and no lives lost on Saturday from just under 6000 tests.

Victoria’s milestone means other states will begin welcoming travellers from the state once more.

NSW lifted restrictions for Victorian travellers on Monday, while Queensland and South Australia will reopen their borders from December 1.

NSW has recorded its 22nd consecutive day without a locally-acquired case of COVID-19 as it inches closer to the benchmark for virus elimination.

Zero local cases of coronavirus were recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday from more than 10,200 tests, while four virus cases were uncovered in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

NSW Health’s Dr Michael Douglas says the state’s residents should continue to be on alert for undetected virus transmission.

Residents should also seek to remain COVID-safe during the weekend’s heatwave.

SA businesses renew call for compensation

The state’s business sector is calling for compensation amid ongoing restrictions leading up to Christmas.

As health officials continue to grapple with the outbreak, the state government will implement a two-week, step-down strategy in easing measures imposed at the start of the outbreak.

That will include opening the borders to Victorians from December 1 and scrapping limits on pub, restaurant and cafe patrons.

But a general work from home advisory remains along with a one person per four square metres rule for all indoor venues.

Business SA chief executive Martin Haese says that means most businesses will be operating at 25 per cent capacity, which is not financially viable.

He says the continued measures will have a significant impact on hospitality, retail and events and leisure during their busiest time of the year.

“Business SA also has grave concerns for the city with work from home advice all but cancelling Christmas for city traders, who will wear the brunt of this as they have all year,” Mr Haese said.

He’s called on the government to regularly review progress with the Parafield cluster to consider if all restrictions can be lifted earlier.

And he’s reaffirmed calls to relax eligibility criteria for $10,000 emergency grants to help businesses get through Christmas.

SA man drowns after falling off rocks

A man in his 30s has died after falling off rocks into the sea in South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.

Emergency services were called to Brown’s Beach in the Inneston National Park just after 11am on Saturday.

The man’s body was found about two hours later after a major search operation involving police, rangers, sea rescue and recreational fishing boats.

He was unresponsive in the water, SA Police said.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a man has survived after being found floating in water at Lake Alexandrina.

He and a friend set off in an inflatable canoe just north of Milang on Friday but emergency services were alerted about 11.30am on Saturday when they failed to return.

The 19-year-old was found several hours later floating in the water and was treated for hypothermia, SA Police said.

A water search operation continues for the second man, 31, for whom police hold grave concerns.

The canoe the men were in has been found and the search will resume on Sunday morning.

HomeBuilder extended at reduced rate

The Federal Government’a HomeBuilder grant has been extended for three months, but cut from $25,000 down to $15,000.

The cash grants are offered to eligible people building a new house or renovating an existing property.

It had been due to expire in December but will be extended to the end of March next year at the lower rate.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the extension was expected to lead to another 15,000 construction projects, bringing the total anticipated renovations or builds to 42,000.

Approved applicants who signed contracts on or after June 4, 2020 will also have an extension on when construction can begin, from three months to six months.

Of the roughly 24,000 applications made to the scheme, 19,180 are for new builds with the remaining 4,697 for renovations.

The federal Labor opposition had called for changes, arguing HomeBuilder had failed to see the expected uptake and was a “marketing exercise”.

The extension has been costed at $240 million, bringing the total expected price tag to $921 million.

LNP wins Groom federal by-election

Liberal-National candidate Garth Hamilton has comfortably won a federal by-election in the Queensland seat of Groom.

The Toowoomba-based mining engineer was the hot favourite for Saturday’s poll, which was also contested by Labor, the Liberal Democrats and Sustainable Australia.

With 19 of 56 booths in, Mr Hamilton held 61.11 per cent of the first-preference vote.

He has promised thousands of local jobs and a long-term water security plan

The Groom by-election was triggered by the resignation of former minister John McVeigh, who was first elected in 2016.

Iran vows retaliation for scientist death

Iran’s supreme leader has promised to retaliate for the killing of the nation’s top nuclear scientist.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged to continue the work of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who Western and Israeli governments believe was the architect of a secret Iranian nuclear weapons program.

Friday’s killing, which Iran’s president was swift to blame on Israel, could complicate any efforts by US President-elect Joe Biden to revive a detente with Tehran.

US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the 2015 international nuclear pact agreed between Tehran and major powers.

Khamenei, who is Iran’s top authority and who says the country has never sought nuclear arms, said on Twitter that Iranian officials must take up the task of “pursuing this crime and punishing its perpetrators and those who commanded it”.

Fakhrizadeh, who had little public profile in Iran but who Israel named as a prime player in what it says is Iran’s nuclear weapons quest, was killed on Friday when he was ambushed near Tehran and his car sprayed with bullets. He was rushed to hospital where he died.

Israeli cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he did not know who carried out the killing.

Tigray operation is complete: Ethiopian PM

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed says military operations in the restive region of Tigray are complete and federal troops control the regional capital, a major development in a three-week-old war that has shaken the Horn of Africa.

“I am pleased to share that we have completed and ceased the military operations in the Tigray region,” he said in a tweet on Saturday.

Less than an hour earlier, he said in a statement, “The federal government is now fully in control of the city of Mekelle.”

Abiy added that the army had secured the release of thousands of troops from the Northern Command, a military unit based in Tigray, who he said had been held hostage by the TPLF.

Federal troops had taken control of “the airport, public institutions, the regional administration office and other critical facilities”, Abiy said.

However, the leader of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) forces, who have been fighting Ethiopian troops since November 4, said the TPLF was not giving up.

“Their brutality can only add (to) our resolve to fight these invaders to the last,” TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael said in a message.

Thousands of people are believed to have died during the fighting this month, and nearly 44,000 refugees have fled to neighbouring Sudan. Tigray also borders the nation of Eritrea and the conflict has stirred concern about an escalation around the country of 115 million people, or in the region.

Sydney Thunder players celebrate after winning the Women’s Big Bash League final between the Melbourne Stars and the Sydney Thunder at North Sydney Oval in Sydney, Saturday, November 28, 2020. Image: AAP/Dan Himbrechts

Thunder thrash Stars to win second Women’s Big Bash title

The Sydney Thunder have smashed the Melbourne Stars to win their second Women’s Big Bash title, chasing down the 87-run target in just 14 overs.

South African quick Shabnim Ismail was named player of the match after taking 2-12 to help the Sydney side run through the Melbourne Stars and claim a seven-wicket win.

After claiming the early wicket of the dangerous Elyse Villani at cover for 1, she then had Meg Lanning caught behind on 13 to leave the Stars in tatters at 3-20 after 6.1 overs.

Fellow quick Sammy-Jo Johnson was equally impressive with 2-11.

By the time the Stars had fallen to 5-37, it marked their worst start to a game with the bat in the tournament’s six-year history.

Some late resistance was offered from Annabel Sutherland (20) and Katherine Brunt (22 not out).

In reply, the Thunder never looked troubled.

Openers Rachel Treneman (23) and Tammy Beaumont (16) both started fast and captain Rachael Haynes finished 21 not out.

Heather Knight (26 off 19) then kicked off celebrations in style, lifting Alana King (1-30) over the long off boundary to clinch the trophy.

– with AAP and Reuters