"No clear link to bats." A WHO led COVID-19 investigation has been completed.

A World Health Organisation-led team who spent almost a month in Wuhan has been unable to find exactly how the virus was transmitted to humans.

The WHO team has dismissed suggestions the pandemic was sparked by a lab leak in Wuhan.

Security guards are seen in front of Wuhan Institute of Virology in Wuhan which was visited by members of the World Health Organisation team on February 3. Image: AAP/Yomiuri Shimbun.

It determined the virus was most likely to have been transmitted through an animal, but exactly which animal remains unclear.

Scientists found no clear link to bats, pangolins or any other wild animals.

The delegation also found the virus may have been spread through frozen food, and could have been active in other regions or countries before the first cases emerged in Wuhan.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the WHO team's findings were pretty straightforward.

Mr Hunt said it was overwhelmingly likely the virus came from the animal kingdom and originated where the first human cases were found.

"It's not surprising that there are no surprises," he told the ABC.

Nationals senator Matt Canavan said the answer would probably never be known.

"Through this whole process China has acted like it had something to hide and it has frustrated the inquiry, dragged it out," he told Nine on Wednesday.

"It's not really any surprise that a year on, or over a year, that it's become too hard to find the origin. We needed this inquiry to start pretty much straight away."

Eddie McGuire quits as Collingwood president because he's become a "lightning rod for vitriol".

Eddie McGuire has quit as Collingwood president, accusing critics of making his position at the AFL club untenable.

The media personality had been set to leave the Magpies at the end of the 2021 season.

However, his response to the findings of a leaked report that found systemic racism at Collingwood and the backlash that followed, forced him to bring forward the end of his 22-year tenure.

Eddie McGuire choked back tears as he stepped down as President of Collingwood Magpies, effective immediately, following a report into systemic racism at the club. pic.twitter.com/L6sGJ3sFge

— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) February 9, 2021

McGuire initially declared the release of last week's Do Better report as a "proud and historic day" for Collingwood.

But in an emotional statement to the media on Tuesday, McGuire said continuing in his role was "not fair" or reasonable for the club or the community.

"People have latched on to my opening line last week, and as a result, I have become a lightning rod for vitriol - but worse, have placed the club in a position where it is hard to move forward of our plans with clear air," the 56-year-old said.

US Senate starts Trump impeachment trial.

The Senate has begun former US president Donald Trump's second impeachment trial on a charge that he incited a deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6.

Senators will engage in up to four hours of debate on the constitutionality of impeaching a former president.

Each side has two hours to make its case on Tuesday, after which the Senate is expected to vote and reject the Republican efforts to dismiss the trial.

The Democrats only need a simple majority to move forward.

House Democrats to present evidence "nobody has seen before," aides say https://t.co/gjj9prFvhF

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 9, 2021

Opening arguments from the House Democrats start on Wednesday and Trump's lawyers are expected to mount their defence starting on Friday.

Trump's lawyers say he is not guilty of the sole charge of "incitement of insurrection" and that his fiery words were just a figure of speech as he encouraged a rally crowd to "fight like hell".

Prosecutors say he "has no good defence" and have promised to present new evidence.

Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin has cried while recounting the terrifying Capitol attack, and a video has played in the Senate chamber of gruesome scenes riot, with some of the 100 senators watching on covering or rubbing their eyes while it played.

the acoustics of a half-filled Senate chamber are excellent. the sounds of the mob just surrounded us all over again.
when the video stopped, there was this suspended silence. when Raskin started speaking again, it felt like the room took a breath. (I, at least, took a breath.)

— Emily Cochrane (@ESCochrane) February 9, 2021

Trump is the first former US president to be tried after leaving office.

Princess Eugenie gives birth to boy.

Princess Eugenie, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, has given birth to her first child, a baby son, with husband Jack Brooksbank, Buckingham Palace says.

Eugenie, the 10th in line to the British throne and younger daughter of the Queen's third child Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and her son are both doing well, the palace said.

The baby is the ninth great-grandchild for the 94-year-old Queen.

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A post shared by Princess Eugenie (@princesseugenie)

"The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke of York, Sarah, Duchess of York, and Mr and Mrs George Brooksbank have been informed and are delighted with the news," the palace said.

Eugenie, who married Brooksbank at Windsor Castle in 2018, announced the news on her Instagram account with a picture of the new parents holding the newborn's hand.

Family of three may be Vic hotel outbreak source.

Authorities are working on a theory that a family of three is the source of a growing outbreak at a Victorian quarantine hotel.

Two new cases linked to the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport were unearthed on Tuesday, including a food and beverage worker and an already released returned traveller. 

A woman in Victoria has tested positive for coronavirus after completing her mandatory 14-day isolation at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport https://t.co/1NWIk2RdKp

— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) February 9, 2021

It brings the total number of cases associated with the cluster to three, with an authorised officer at the hotel testing positive on Sunday.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the cases are likely linked to transmission on a floor with known COVID-positive guests.

That includes a family of three, one of whom has been transferred to intensive care.

Mr Sutton indicated the infected workers and former guest appeared to have picked up the virus from the family despite having no close contact as he defended the state's quarantine system.

Health authorities overnight issued a notice of several new exposure sites including Sunny Life Massage, Bakers Delight, Aldente Deli, Sushi Sushi and Asian Star - all in Sunbury Square Shopping Centre in Sunbury - as well as Cellarbrations and PJ's Pet Warehouse also in Sunbury.

Djokovic, Williams headline Australian Open day three.

World No.1 Novak Djokovic and 23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams will be among the headline acts on day three of the Australian Open.

Djokovic cruised past Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-1 6-2 on Monday and will start as hot favourite against the talented 23-year-old American Frances Tiafoe, the world No.64, on Rod Laver Arena in Wednesday's stand-out match.

Djokovic, who is seeking an 18th grand slam and ninth Australian Open crown, has started the tournament in the sort of ominous form that could see him close the gap on Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, who both have 20 titles.

.@DjokerNole, the floor is yours 💙#AO2021 | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/SqWLhhQghQ

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) February 8, 2021

Williams defeated Laura Siegemund 6-1 6-1 in her opening-round match, and will take on world No.99 Nina Stojanovic on Wednesday.

Her older sister Venus Williams faces off against Italian Sara Errani, while Naomi Osaka takes on Caroline Garcia.

Crown faces fight to keep casino licence.

Crown Resorts will attempt to convince the NSW gaming regulator it can reform despite a former judge concluding it is not fit to run a casino, while also facing calls for more scrutiny in Victoria.

Crown facilitated money laundering through subsidiaries' bank accounts then failed to act when it was drawn to their attention in public media reporting, the report found.

Australia’s casino giant Crown Resorts is reeling tonight after a year-long inquiry in new South Wales found the company isn’t fit to hold a casino licence in Sydney, and the damning report could have repercussions for Crown’s Melbourne and Perth operations. #abc730

— abc730 (@abc730) February 9, 2021

Commissioner Patricia Bergin, a former judge of the NSW Supreme Court, told the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority that alone rendered Crown unfit to hold the licence for its $2.2 billion casino in Sydney's Barangaroo.

It also put its staff in China in danger of being detained and dealt with junket operators it was told were involved in organised crime, Ms Bergin concluded.

The ILGA will now consider the report, which it received on February 1 and which was published on Tuesday. 

Premier inspects flood zone damage "into the millions" in northern WA.

Damage from once-in-a-decade floods in Western Australia's north will run into millions of dollars, Premier Mark McGowan says.

While floodwaters are receding around Carnarvon, work is only just beginning to repair roads and other infrastructure, while power has been restored to most properties.

WA’s north is facing a ‘one in ten year’ flood. Dozens of people trapped in floodwaters have been choppered to safety. Some parts have had more than 200mm of rain. The system will have an impact on Perth tonight. More with @elizabethcreasy at 6pm @9NewsPerth pic.twitter.com/i9F7FVnYaF

— Tracy Vo (@Tracy_Vo) February 6, 2021

On Tuesday federal Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud said the shires of Carnarvon, Upper Gascoyne and Derby-West Kimberley will be eligible for financial assistance through the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.  

"The Bureau of Meteorology reported that Carnarvon received more rain in 24 hours than it received for all of 2020, which has led to significant damage, in particular to the road network," Mr Littleproud said.

Premier McGowan flew to Carnarvon on Tuesday to inspect the scene, describing the flood event as traumatic for locals.

WA had asked for federal disaster relief to help fast-track about $8.5 million in road repairs.

Kobe Bryant helicopter pilot 'disoriented'.

US safety officials say the helicopter pilot who crashed into a California hillside last year, killing Kobe Bryant and seven other passengers, went against his training and violated flight rules by flying into thick clouds.

Pilot Ara Zobayan likely became so disoriented that he could not discern up from down, investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board concluded.

Kobe Bryant's helicopter pilot pushed the limits of bad weather flying rules, and ultimately abandoned his training before last year's crash, investigators say. https://t.co/cZQkySsmKK

— CNN (@CNN) February 9, 2021

The agency criticised Zobayan's decision to fly into the clouds, saying he violated federal standards that required him to be able to see where he was going before the helicopter crashed during a roughly 40-minute flight.

Zobayan was among the nine people killed, including Bryant's 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Around the world.

- Europe's oldest person, French nun Sister Andre, has survived COVID-19 and will celebrate her 117th birthday this week.

- Police and protesters have clashed in Myanmar, with injuries on both sides on the most violent day so far of demonstrations against the military coup that overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi.

- With AAP

Feature image: Mackenzie Sweetnam/Getty/PrincessEugenie/Sarah Silbiger/Getty.