Good morning. Scott Morrison is facing more resistance on the plan to reopen as NSW braces for another day of record Covid cases. Evacuation efforts continue in Afghanistan as Australia grants more than 100 visas to former local staff, a day after rejecting them. And as you sip your morning coffee, find out how caffeine became the world’s most dominant drug.
Scott Morrison insists that growing case numbers is not a reason to abandon the national plan to open up the country once vaccination rates hit 70% and 80%. But some state leaders are not so sure, warning that the worsening Covid crisis in New South Wales could be a dealbreaker. On Sunday, NSW hit yet another record of 830 new cases and three deaths, bringing the toll in the current outbreak to 71.
The Australian government says it has granted humanitarian visas to more than 100 Afghan nationals who worked at its embassy, a day…
