This post deals with sexual assault and suicide and might be triggering for some readers.
New NSW flood warnings, hundreds rescued.
Evacuation warnings have been issued for people northwest of Sydney amid heavy rainfall and flooding that left an emergency services crew dealing with snakes during a rescue on the NSW Mid-North Coast.
Major flooding is occurring along the Colo River, with residents on Monday night told to prepare to evacuate as waters continued to rise.
Major flooding similar to the 1988 and 1990 flood events is occurring along the Hawkesbury River while the Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting heavy rainfall to continue through Tuesday.
Labor's home affairs spokesman Kristina Keneally quizzed Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram about the exemption at a hearing in Canberra on Monday.
"It really set off a number of Australians who couldn't get home for dying relatives," Senator Keneally said.
"Stranded Australians were very angry about Dylan Efron."
Mr Outram said the state government needed to prove significant economic benefit, similar to the Indian cricket tour or Australian Open tennis tournament.
"The exemption was granted on the basis of the applicant having critical skills and was supported by the NSW government," he said.
"Mr Efron's arrival was not included in NSW flight caps and did not impact on the number of Australians that could return."
Around the world.
- Authorities in the Philippines have tightened coronavirus restrictions as the country records a record daily increase of 8019 COVID-19 infections.
- Facebook has taken down 1.3 billion fake accounts between October and December and removed more than 12 million pieces of COVID misinformation.
- The BBC says a journalist from its Burmese-language service has been released by authorities in Myanmar as protesters in the country continued their broad civil disobedience movement against last month's military coup.
- With AAP
Feature image: ABC/Four Corners/James D. Morgan/Getty/Peter Lorimer/Getty.