The lost whale spent more than two weeks in Australia's East Alligator River, which is home to many crocodiles.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said there were an estimated 24,000 stranded Australians wanting to return home, which the government has pledged to facilitate before Christmas.

The move came after activists and investors said the mining company had not done enough to address the blasting of the 46,000-year-old site against the wishes of traditional owners.

Saskatchewan ICE investigators said they identified a youth care worker in Australia who was previously unknown to authorities in that country.

The absence of Australian media from China for the first time in four decades comes during a low point in the two countries’ relations, and the events that led to the journalists’ departures were seen as evidence of an increasing risk to foreign journalists working in China.

"Australia needs some hope," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. "Today, we take another significant step to protect the health of Australians against the coronavirus pandemic."

Traditionally, Big White heavily relies on foreign nationals for part of its workforce, but the coronavirus pandemic is making that extremely difficult this year.

The country joins the United States, Japan, UK and Germany in technical recession, defined as two straight quarters of decline, in Australia's first such downturn since 1991.

The Australian government said in July it would require Facebook and Google to pay for news provided by media companies under a royalty-style system that is scheduled to become law this year.

Flu season typically runs from November to April, and there are particular challenges this year because of COVID-19, including the possibility of flu season coinciding with a second wave.