R Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial.

R Kelly has been convicted by a US federal jury in his sex trafficking trial, where prosecutors accused the R&B singer of exploiting his stardom over 25 years to lure women and underage girls into his orbit for sex.

Jurors in Brooklyn federal court deliberated for a little more than one day before voting to convict the 54-year-old Kelly on all nine counts he faced, after a five-and-a-half week trial.

Kelly kept his head down as the verdict was read, with his face shielded by a white mask.

JUST IN: Jurors have found R&B singer R. Kelly guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking charges. Kelly could face decades in prison at sentencing. https://t.co/FMOkSEH9N3

— CNN (@CNN)

One woman watching from an overflow courtroom cried as the verdict was read.

Deveraux Cannick, a lawyer for Kelly, told reporters outside the courtroom that the defence was "disappointed".

Kelly's sentencing was scheduled for May 4, 2022.

The singer, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, is one of the most prominent people tried on sex charges during the #MeToo movement, which amplified accusations that had dogged him since the early 2000s.

Many accusations against Kelly were included in the January 2019 Lifetime documentarySurviving R Kelly.

Several witnesses testified that Kelly instilled fear if his victims did not fulfill his every need, sexual and otherwise.

Jurors heard how Kelly would compel victims to follow "Rob's rules," including that they call him "Daddy" and get permission to eat or go to the bathroom.

R. Kelly’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 4. He could spend the rest of his life in prison, representing a remarkable downfall for the singer who once stood atop the world of R&B. Here are five takeaways from the verdict. https://t.co/CFj6Co6Mma

— The New York Times (@nytimes)

One witness hoping to interview him for a radio station said he locked her up for at least two days without food or water before assaulting her.

On top of the conviction, Kelly still faces federal charges in Chicago on child pornography and obstruction, and state charges in Illinois and Minnesota.

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Man charged with murder of UK teacher.

UK police say they have charged a man with the murder of a female teacher found dead a short walk from her home, a killing that again raised public anger about violence towards women.

Sabina Nessa, 28, left her home in Kidbrooke, south London, on the evening of September 17 to make the five-minute walk through a local park to a bar where she was due to meet a friend.

She never arrived and her body was found in the park the next afternoon.

36-year-old Koci Selamaj will appear in court tomorrow charged with the murder of 28-year-old Sabina Nessa in Kidbrooke, south-east London. https://t.co/kxfAXn9EaV

— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk)

Police said they had charged Koci Selamaj, 36, from Eastbourne on England's south coast, with murder.

He is due to appear at Willesden Magistrates' Court in London on Tuesday.

Nessa's killing came six months after there was a huge public outcry and demands for action after another woman, Sarah Everard, was abducted, raped and murdered in south London in March by a police officer.

Vigils were held in the local area and across the UK to remember Nessa and to highlight violence against women.

NSW readies to open up after four months.

NSW is set to emerge from a lockdown in a fortnight after almost four months of stay-at-home orders for much of the state.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the beginning of the "COVID-normal" era on Monday, almost certainly ending statewide or region-wide lockdowns.

Socially distanced introductions back to hospitality venues and hairdressers will likely begin from October 11 as earlier promised when 70 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated.

About two weeks later, the state is expected to reach 80 per cent coverage and travel between Greater Sydney and regional NSW will resume.

Regional travel was due to be unlocked at 70 per cent, but it's been pushed back. #nswpol https://t.co/Fypy6AbNEA

— Mamamia (@Mamamia)

From October 25, gathering caps should increase to 10 fully vaccinated visitors in homes, 20 people outdoors, a maximum of 200 people for COVID-safe events and up to 500 people at ticketed and seated events.

Entertainment venues such as cinemas and theatres can operate at 75 per cent capacity, libraries and museums can reopen and community sport will resume. Nightclubs will remain closed.

Life from December 1 will return to near normalcy for all including those who are not fully vaccinated.

NSW reported 787 new local cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.

The premier urged residents to remain vigilant until the 70 per cent milestone had been reached to keep virus transmissions and hospitalisations low.

There are currently 1155 COVID-19 patients in hospital in NSW, with 214 in intensive care units and 115 on ventilators.

ACT announces path out of COVID lockdown.

The ACT has outlined its path out of COVID restrictions, with Canberra's lockdown set to end on October 15.

However, Chief Minister Andrew Barr says vaccinated ACT residents will not be afforded any additional freedoms compared to those yet to get a vaccine.

Some restrictions will be eased from Friday ahead of the end of the lockdown, including residents being able to have two visitors in their home.

Restrictions will ease further on October 15, such as the reopening of pubs and restaurants with density limits, hairdressers reopening with up to five customers and gyms opening with strict measures in place.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr has released the ACT's roadmap to reopening, with lockdown to end on October 15 and other restrictions to be eased from as early as Friday. https://t.co/CBOvGYXWWB

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust)

Further relaxation of restrictions will take place on October 29, which will allow for increased density limits, the reopening of retail and the restart of ticketed events for up to 500 people.

Students will also be able to return to in-person learning at schools for most year groups from October 18, with all students to return by November 1.

The news came on the same day the ACT recorded its first death from COVID-19 during the current outbreak - a man in his 90s who was in palliative care at an aged care facility in Canberra's north before catching the virus.

Time to return to being a nation: Barnaby Joyce.

Businesses will go broke and mental health will decline if premiers continued to act like leaders of "hermit kingdoms" rather than part of a nation, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says.

NSW and the ACT have become the latest jurisdictions to outline detailed roadmaps out of restrictions imposed to reduce COVID-19 cases.

Their confidence in moving beyond hard lockdowns and social limits comes as vaccination rates head towards the nationally agreed target of 80 per cent.

But Queensland and Western Australia are maintaining hard borders to keep their case numbers down, while their vaccination rates are well below the rest of the country.

Mr Joyce said people were frustrated and businesses were seeking a path out of the pandemic.

"The alternative is they stay locked up like a hermit kingdom," he told theABC.

"You think you can live in an economy by yourself? After October, are you going to get your own navy, own air force, have your own little army?

"It's untenable. The nation must go on as a nation."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who is in quarantine after returning from the United States, said international travel could resume before the end of the year if vaccination rates continue at pace.

The latest health department data show 51.8 per cent of Australians aged over 16 have been fully vaccinated, with the first dose figure sitting on 76.1 per cent.

Aviation worker tests positive in Qld.

An aviation industry worker has tested positive for COVID-19 in Queensland, sparking a public health alert for sites in Brisbane.

"The man in his 30s works in the aviation industry, with no recent history of overseas or interstate travel," Queensland Health said in a statement late on Monday.

The source of his case is being investigated and it will be reported in Tuesday's COVID-19 data.

Qld’s recorded its first mystery covid case in 50 days. A covid-positive man in his 30’s visited this business last Thursday. Other exposure sites listed here. All eyes will be on this morning’s QLD covid update. @BreakfastNews pic.twitter.com/LClewk2P0Q

— Michael Rennie (@mf_rennie)

A public health alert has been issued for exposure sites including a McDonald's in Albany Creek, a childcare centre in Eatons Hill and stores in Rocklea and Aspley.

The case comes after Queensland earlier reported zero new cases of COVID-19 for Monday and the chief health officer said people should "prepare and hope" for the state's borders to reopen in time for Christmas.

But Jeannette Young could not say whether reaching coverage of 80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will trigger an automatic reopening of the state's borders before December 25.

The state borders have been closed to most of NSW since July 21, to Greater Sydney since June 22, regional Victoria since July 17 and Melbourne since May 28.

Hundreds of Queensland residents and people trying to move to the region have been stuck in limbo interstate for months.

Queensland had given 63.8 per cent of eligible residents at least one dose of a vaccine by Saturday, with 44.9 per cent fully vaccinated.

Qantas announces Darwin to London flights.

Qantas has announced it will temporarily cease flights to London from Perth, with plans to replace it with a service from Darwin.

The Darwin-London service will run until at least April 2022, if the carrier can come to a deal with the Northern Territory government, the airline said on Monday.

"At this stage, WA doesn't intend to open to international travel until sometime next year, so we'll unfortunately have to temporarily move our Perth-London service until at least April 2022," Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

Qantas scraps Christmas restart of London-Perth nonstop flights https://t.co/T9CRIjj1Yf

— Independent Travel (@IndyTravel)

The national carrier has successfully used Darwin as a hub for its repatriation flights to various destinations across Europe, Asia and the Middle East over the past 12 months.

If able to come to a deal, Qantas plans to run daily Melbourne-Darwin-London flights.

If not, it will instead fly Melbourne-Singapore-London.

A decision is expected in the next two weeks.

Vaccine push in high-risk Vic suburbs as cops prepare for more protests.

General practitioners and pharmacies in Melbourne suburbs hardest hit by COVID-19 are the state government's newest tool to speed up the vaccination rollout.

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced grants of up to $10,000 for clinics and pharmacies in 11 local government areas with high COVID-19 infections and low vaccination rates.

Those areas are Brimbank, Cardinia, Casey, Darebin, Greater Dandenong, Hobsons Bay, Hume, Melton, Moreland, Whittlesea and Wyndham.

Mr Andrews said the grants would allow GPs and pharmacies to operate additional hours, hire more staff or rent out space to run vaccination hubs.

Premier Daniel Andrews has announced more than $500,000 worth of grants for GPs and pharmacies in 11 local government areas of concern (LGAs) to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake as Victoria chases its 70 and 80 per cent goal. https://t.co/oZP5uvkHub

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust)

Victoria recorded 705 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Monday and one death, a man in his 70s from Darebin. It brings the toll from the current outbreak to 25.