The World Today

Tension escalates on the border between Russia and Ukraine. Is armed conflict inevitable?; Stocks remain low as vulnerable Australians go in search of Rapid Antigen Tests; And, we go to WA where locals scramble for the delicacy, and lifesavers are on alert.

The hidden cost of the pandemic. The $13 billion dollar hit to the economy from mental illness;

The Prime Minister's WeChat social media account taken over, will it have electoral consequences for the Government?;

And, record rains in rural South Australia. We take you out the back of Buckleboo, where fences have been swept away, but farmers are hoping it will be a bumper grain season.

WA delays opening its border. NSW records its deadliest day of the pandemic. Has the West made the right call?; How do you fix Tonga's undersea communications cable after the massive volcanic eruption?; And, marketing experts trying to re-brand hotels used in the COVID quarantine program.

National cabinet meets, as uncertainty remains over how to get children and staff safely back to school; The TGA gives provisional approval to two COVID treatments and another vaccine; And uneven playing field. Efforts to get more players from diverse backgrounds into the English cricket team.

Emergency health measures come into effect in Victoria as the Omicron crisis worsens; Desperate shortages of staff, rapid tests and PPE in aged care; And, Tongan Australian families hear from relatives in the aftermath of the volcanic eruption.

Air crews try to land in Tonga after the devastating tsunami and volcanic eruption; COVID takes hold on Palm Island. Emergency measures put in place to try to protect the vulnerable; And you'll hear from a 95-year old aged care resident in Victoria, about what it's like being stuck in COVID lockdown.

We'll get the latest on the humanitarian situation in Tonga, after the massive volcanic eruption.

South Australian Paramedics were unable to answer dozens of emergency calls in Adelaide overnight, as the ambulance service is overwhelmed.

Ratifying the RAT tests: New South Wales' COVID-19 case numbers rise dramatically as rapid test results are included in the tally for the first time.

Half of Europe could be infected with Omicron in the next few weeks, as the virus sweeps the continent.

And dire warnings about COVID's impact on the global economy, with inequality predicted to worsen.