Welcome to the 9News.com.au live blog for Friday, November 18, 2022. A Dutch court has convicted two Russians and a pro-Moscow Ukrainian separatist of the murders of 298 people who died in the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. Australian academic Sean Turnell has been released from a Malaysian prison after 650 days. Coronavirus hospitalisations are rising in Australia as the fourth wave of the virus takes hold, forcing NSW Health to mandate mask-wearing in hospitals across the state.
– Aussie academic 'on his way home' after release from Myanmar prison
– 'I thought I was going to die': Abuses widespread in Ukraine
– Trio get life sentences for downing MH17
– COVID-19 hospitalisations rising in fourth wave
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The Victorian Liberal Party's state director says he is "deeply concerned" about the Victorian Electoral Commission's (VEC) announcement it had referred its investigation of Matthew Guy and Mitch Catlin to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).
Sam McQuestin's broadside comes after the VEC said it had not received full cooperation from those involved.
McQuestin said he had instructed the party's lawyers to write to the VEC, asking it to publicly declare members of the Liberal Party had cooperated with its enquiries.
He said the Liberals believed the VEC's decision to announce the IBAC referral was "deliberate" interference with the November 26 election.
"It is the party's view that these actions constitute a serious, deliberate and unprecedented interference in the Victorian state election," the statement reads.
The US government has declared that the high office held by Saudi Arabia's crown prince should shield him from lawsuits for his role in the killing of a US-based journalist, a turnaround from Joe Biden's passionate campaign-trail denunciations of Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal slaying.
The administration said the prince's official standing should give him immunity in the lawsuit filed by the fiancée of slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and by the rights group he founded, Democracy for the Arab World Now.
The request is non-binding and a judge will ultimately decide whether to grant immunity. But it is bound to anger human rights activists and many US lawmakers, coming as Saudi Arabia has stepped up imprisonment and other retaliation against peaceful critics at home and abroad and has cut oil production, a move seen as undercutting efforts by the US and its allies to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine.
With NSW Health updating its COVID-19 risk level to amber, masks are now mandatory in hospitals once again.
But what are the requirements and recommendations for you if you're in another state or territory?
Lucky for you, we've got all the info you need to know about current COVID-19 restrictions across Australia in this explainer.
NSW Health says the number of healthcare staff who have had to go into isolation due to rising COVID-19 cases was a "significant factor" behind the decision to mandate masks in hospitals again.
"As of 16 November, there were 1089 healthcare workers in isolation, up from 645 the previous week," Willcox said.
"This is an important indicator for our health system that we need to find the right balance with simple measures that can help us avoid more significant changes."
Masks will once again be mandatory in hospitals across New South Wales as the state goes through an increase in COVID-19 cases.
NSW Health today updated its COVID-19 risk rating to amber, meaning masks will be required in hospitals and visitor numbers will be monitored.
"Implementing these changes now means that our staff and the community can look forward to the festive season with greater confidence," NSW Health deputy secretary Deb Willcox said.
"Family and loved ones can still spend time with patients, however, we do ask people to please limit the number of visitors coming to see patients at any one time.
"Visitors, as well as staff, will now also need to wear a mask in all areas of a hospital or health service, not just in the patient areas, as was previously the requirement."
NSW recorded 22,672 new infections this week, a 52 per cent increase.
South Australia has recorded an increase in weekly COVID-19 cases.
The state had 8346 new infections this week, up from 6867 last week, and three deaths, which is down from last week's seven.
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