Dominion Voting Systems has sued former US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani for defamation after he pushed the "Big Lie" about election fraud on his podcast and TV appearances.

Dominion is seeking more than US$1.3 billion (AUD$1.6 billion) in damages.

"Just as Giuliani and his allies intended, the Big Lie went viral on social media as people tweeted, retweeted, and raged that Dominion had stolen their votes. While some lies – little lies – flare up on social media and die with the next news cycle, the Big Lie was different," lawyers for Dominion wrote in the lawsuit, filed in DC District Court on Monday morning.

"The harm to Dominion's business and reputation is unprecedented and irreparable because of how fervently millions of people believe it."

The lawsuit notes that while Giuliani spread falsehoods about Dominion being owned by Venezuelan communists and corrupting the election, he did not make those claims in lawsuits he pushed on behalf of Trump.

This is the second defamation lawsuit Dominion has filed in recent weeks seeking to recoup its losses following the Trump post-election disinformation campaign. The vote auditing company previously sued lawyer Sidney Powell, who pushed similar claims alongside Giuliani. The Powell lawsuit is still in its earliest stage.

Dominion has positioned itself in recent weeks as a major voice to push back against Trump's false election claims and the insurrection of the Capitol by his followers who hoped to overturn Joe Biden's win.

In the lawsuit Monday, the company focused on how Giuliani continued to claim without evidence that Dominion aided election fraud even after he received a cease-and-desist letter. The Canadian-founded company details how listeners of Giuliani reacted by amplifying online his message of a stolen election.

The former mayor of New York and well-known prosecutor repeated his claims on podcasts and his radio show and YouTube shows. He also used his platform in recent months to make money pitching cigars, a conservative alternative to the AARP and the sale of gold coins, the lawsuit says.

Giuliani also appeared on TV networks OANN, Fox and Fox Business to make accusations of election fraud, the lawsuit notes.

Dominion also details how on January 6 – hours before a crowd of Trump supporters in Washington violently overran the Capitol – Giuliani continued to push claims of election fraud about Dominion in tweets, on a YouTube appearance and in his own speech at the event. Giuliani said at the rally, without evidence, that he knew of an expert who had examined Dominion voting machines and saw changed votes, concluding, "This election was stolen," according to the complaint.

Dominion sent Giuliani a second letter, asking for a retraction on January 10, the company says.

"Giuliani has not retracted his false claims about Dominion, and many of his false and defamatory television and radio appearances and tweets remain available online to a global internet audience. Indeed, to this day, he continues to double down on the Big Lie," the lawsuit noted.

Dominion said it is now distrusted by millions of American voters and its employees have been harassed. The company believes hundreds of its contracts with states and localities are now in jeopardy and that the business projects a loss of profits in the next five years of $200 million, according to the lawsuit.

Countries must cooperate more closely in fighting the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic and climate change and in supporting a sustainable global economic recovery, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in an address to the World Economic Forum.

“Humanity has only Earth and one future,” Mr Jinping said in remarks from Beijing to a virtual gathering that is taking place in lieu of the annual in-person meetings in Davos, Switzerland, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Fighting the pandemic is the most urgent task facing the international community," Mr Jinping said, in urging that countries cooperate to conquer the disease, which first was reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan just over a year ago.

“In particular, we should strengthen cooperation in vaccine research and development, production and distribution, so that vaccines can truly become a public good that are accessible and affordable to people in all countries," he said.

READ MORE: Australia's Vaccine rollout: What you need to know

Much of what the Chinese leader said was a reiteration of Beijing’s usual stance on issues such as closing the gap between wealthy and developing nations, and warning that countries should not meddle in other countries' affairs.

While Mr Jinping did not mention recent US policies directly, he did call for sticking to rules, embracing diversity and avoiding confrontations over trade and technology.

Relations between the US and China have sunk to their worst in decades as former President Donald Trump imposed punitive tariffs and other sanctions to try to gain concessions on trade and counter perennial trade deficits.

“We should advocate fair competition, like competing with each other for excellence in a racing field, not beating each other on a wrestling arena,” Mr Jinping said.

“To engage in cliques, a new Cold War, exclusion, threats and intimidation against others, to warn of decoupling, cutting off supplies, sanctions at every turn . . . can only drive the world to division and even conflict," he said.

“A divided world cannot tackle the common challenges facing humanity, and confrontation will lead humanity to a dead end."

Just days after his inauguration, President Joe Biden has yet to set out his administration's own policies on trade with China, though he is adopting a more conventional approach than Trump's “America First" stance in handling global issues such as the pandemic and global warming.

READ MORE: China builds massive COVID-19 quarantine camp

Few experts expect Biden to significantly soften the US stance on trade and technology given longstanding friction over a wide range of issues, including human rights.

Mr Jinping said countries need to better coordinate their economic policies, avoid protectionism and other barriers to trade and cooperation to support a global economic recovery and ensure the stability of world financial systems.

“Despite trillions of dollars countries around the world rolled out in economic remedies, the momentum of the global economic recovery remains very unstable, and there is great uncertainty about the outlook,” Mr Jinping said.

Other leaders expected to address the virtual forum include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The forum has said it plans to hold its annual meeting in person in May in Singapore.

Deng Pravatoudom followed her husband's dream all the way to Easy Street.

Pravatoudom, 57, has played the lottery for two decades using a set of numbers that her husband dreamed about 20 years ago.

In December, his dream became reality when his wife played those numbers and won a CAD$60 million (AUD$61m) jackpot, Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) said in a news release Monday.

On December 1, the mother of two – who was laid off during the pandemic – went to the bank to pay some bills while her husband checked the tickets.

When they returned to the car, he told her they had won $60 million.

"I was ecstatically happy, I was crying at the same time. I couldn't believe it at first," Pravatoudom said during a virtual celebration where she was presented the check.

"I am going to buy a house, then if it's allowed after Covid, I'm going to travel the world."

Pravatoudom emigrated from Laos to Canada with her 14 siblings in 1980. For decades, she and her husband have worked hard to support their family, she said.

"My family was sponsored by a local church and because we had nothing, I am thankful for the great support they provided us over the years," she said.

"My husband and I have worked long hours as general labourers for over 40 years, trying to save what we could for our family. Due to the pandemic I was laid off last spring, so this money will certainly help make our lives much easier."

Along with buying herself some diamonds, Pravatoudom and her husband will first pay off their bills and help their children, who she says are overwhelmed with joy for their parents.

"They said, 'Mom and Dad you have worked so hard for 40 years and made many sacrifices, so you deserve this happiness," Pravatoudom said.

Sarah Sanders, Donald Trump’s former chief spokeswoman and one of his closest aides, announced she’s running for Arkansas governor, vying for political office even as the former president’s legacy is clouded by an impeachment charge that he incited the deadly siege at the US Capitol.

The former White House press secretary, who left the job in 2019 to return to her home state, launched the bid less than a week after the end of Trump’s time in office and as the ex-president faces an impeachment trial.

But her announcement reflected how much she expected voters in solidly red Arkansas to embrace the former president, if not his rhetoric.

“With the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense,” Sanders said in a video announcing her bid.

READ MORE: Members are quitting 'sad' Mar-a-Lago after Trump loss

“In fact, your governor must be on the front line. So today I announce my candidacy for governor of Arkansas.”

The daughter of former Governor Mike Huckabee, Sanders had been widely expected to run for the office after leaving the White House — and Trump publicly encouraged her to make a go.

She’s been laying the groundwork for a candidacy, speaking to GOP groups around the state.

Sanders joins a Republican primary that already includes two statewide elected leaders, Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin and Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.

The three are running to succeed current Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican who is unable to run next year due to term limits.

No Democrats have announced a bid to run for the seat.

Sanders launched her bid weeks after a riot by Trump’s supporters at the US Capitol left five people dead.

More than 130 people have been charged in the insurrection, which was aimed at halting the certification of President Joe Biden’s win over Trump.

Sanders was the first working mother and only the third woman to serve as White House press secretary.

But she also faced questions about her credibility during her time as Trump’s chief spokesperson.

During her nearly two-year tenure, daily televised briefings led by the press secretary ended after Sanders repeatedly sparred with reporters who aggressively questioned her about administration policy and the investigation into possible coordination between Trump’s campaign and Russia.

But Sanders earned reporters’ respect working behind the scenes to develop relationships with the media.

Trump’s tumultuous exit from the presidency may do little damage to Sanders in Arkansas.

Republicans hold all of Arkansas’ statewide and federal seats, as well as a solid majority in both chambers of the Legislature.

Trump in November won the state by nearly 28 percentage points, one of the biggest margins in his ultimate loss to Biden. Sanders’ nearly 8-minute video prominently features photos of Trump, along with references to his favorite targets such as “cancel culture,” socialism and the Green New Deal.

Griffin and Rutledge have spent months positioning themselves ahead of Sanders’ announcement, lining up endorsements from the state’s top Republicans and raising funds. Combined, the two have raised more than $2.8 million.

The race could also get even more crowded. Republican State Sen. Jim Hendren, a nephew of Hutchinson’s, is considering a run for the seat.

Sanders, who published a book last year and joined Fox News as a contributor after leaving the White House, enters the race with a much higher profile than any of the candidates.

She remains an unknown on many of the state’s biggest issues, though in her announcement she called for reducing state income taxes and cutting off funding for cities that violate immigration laws.

A dead human body has been found inside a wheelie bin floating down Glenbrook Dam in Perth's Hills region.

Western Australia Police said members of the public discovered the remains at John Forrest National Park in Perth's east, when they noticed a bad smell coming from the bin, about midday today.

Inside the bin they discovered a large object wrapped in pink plastic and upon closer inspection noticed a human body part. They then notified police.

Divers from WA Police were sent into the dam immediately to pull the bin from the water.

Police have launched a murder probe as investigators remain at the scene and scour the dam floor for further evidence.

The body has not been inspected or identified but according to police, the remains may have been inside the bin for a couple of days.