Australian house prices rose 1.0 per cent in December, capping off a massive year for real estate which saw the market soar by 22.1 per cent over 12 months.

But some of the heat appears to be coming out of the market at last, with the monthly gains softening, the latest data from Corelogic reveals.

The 1.0 per cent national house price growth for December is down from a rise of 1.3 per cent in November and a high of 2.8 per cent in March 2021.

READ MORE: Australia's property prices smash records in 2021

Melbourne was the only capital to see a price drop in December, its first monthly fall since October 2020, with property values down by 0.1 per cent.

In Sydney, house prices rose by just 0.3 per cent, the smallest gain seen by the NSW capital for 14 months.

CoreLogic's Research Director Tim Lawless said the momentum had shifted in Australia's two biggest capital cities and a two speed market was emerging.

"A surge in freshly advertised listings through December has been a key factor in taking some heat out of the Melbourne and Sydney housing markets, along with some demand headwinds caused by significant affordability constraints and negative interstate migration," Mr Lawless said.

LIVE UPDATES: COVID-19 numbers explode across multiple states

Brisbane and Adelaide, along with regional Queensland, were the only regions where there was no evidence of value growth slowing just yet, he said.

Brisbane house prices showed a 2.9 per cent surge in December, the highest of any capital city.

"These regions show less of an affordability challenge relative to the larger capitals, as well as better support for housing demand with Queensland in particular showing strong interstate migration," Mr Lawless said.

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"Additionally, we haven't seen the same level of supply response seen in other regions, with the trend in advertised supply remaining well below average in these markets."

Over the year, the biggest price gains of any capital city were in Hobart, where house prices soared by 28.1 per cent.

Property prices in Sydney spiked 25.3 per cent for the year, while Melbourne posted an increase of 15.1 per cent.

Corelogic change in dwelling values

(month, annual)

National – up 1.0 per cent, up 22.1 per cent

Sydney – up 0.3 per cent, up 25.3 per cent

Melbourne – down 0.1 per cent, up 15.1 per cent

Brisbane – up 2.9 per cent, up 27.4 per cent

Adelaide – up 2.6 per cent, up 23.2 per cent

Perth – up 0.4 per cent, up 13.1 per cent

Hobart – up 1.0 per cent, up 28.1 per cent

Darwin – up 0.6 per cent, up 14.7 per cent

Canberra – up 0.9 per cent, up 24.9 per cent

Combined capitals – up 0.6 per cent, up 21.0 per cent

Combined regional – up 2.2 per cent, up 25.9 per cent

New South Wales has clocked a new COVID-19 daily case record, with 23,131 more infections identified overnight.

Hospitalisations have also increased, with 1344 people with the virus being treated, marking a 140 case increase from yesterday.

Of these 105 are in ICU, up 10 from yesterday.

READ MORE: COVID-19 booster shots available at four months from today

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1478130694203183107

Sadly, two more people have died with the virus.

A man in his 90s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital. He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

A man in his 70s from the Newcastle area died at John Hunter Hospital. He was a resident of the Kilpatrick Court aged care facility in Toronto, where he acquired his infection. He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

There were 83,376 tests conducted in the past 24 hours with long testing lines continuing outside Sydney clinics today.

Dozens of clinics are closed temporarily as providers struggle to keep up with the numbers.

NSW Health has once again urged only those with symptoms, anyone who lives in a household with a confirmed COVID-19 case, or those who have been advised by authorities to seek a PCR test.

It comes as NSW Health said the testing system is "under enormous pressure".

Dr Jeremy McAnulty has urged NSW residents to work from home where possible.

"We are encouraging people to work from home where it's practical to do so, this will help minimise the number of people travelling to and from work and in the office," he said.

Dr McAnulty said if you cannot work from home, you must wear a face mask.

READ MORE: More than two dozen Sydney COVID-19 testing sites shut temporarily

Fears are also growing that the NSW hospital system is starting to buckle under the strain of the state's fourth COVID-19 wave.

NSW Health has implored residents not to call Triple Zero unless absolutely necessary.

"We all need to play our part in not placing any unnecessary burden on the health system," it said on Twitter.

"You should not call Triple Zero (000) or attend a hospital emergency department if you want to get a COVID-19 PCR test."

Victorian COVID-19 case numbers have also soared overnight with 14,020 reported this morning — up from 8577 yesterday.

Three hospitals in Melbourne's west have begged patients not to attend unless it was a genuine medical emergency.

Scientists have discovered human DNA on ancient head lice dug up in South America after 2000 years.

The human genetic material was found in a "cement like" glue that female lice use to attach their eggs to hair follicles.

Researchers from the University of Reading, who led the project conducted between five universities, believe this may provide new clues into ancient people and their migration patterns.

LIVE UPDATES: COVID-19 numbers explode across multiple states

READ MORE: Queensland island split in two by cyclone swells

Dr Alejandra Perotti even compared the discovery to the storyline of the original Jurassic Park movie where dinosaur DNA was found in a mosquito fossilised in amber 65 million years ago.

"We have shown that our genetic information can be preserved by the sticky substance produced by headlice on our hair," Dr Perotti said in a paper released on the finding.

The samples were extracted from mummified corpses found in the Calingasta Caves and rock shelters of the Andes Mountains, in the San Juan province of Argentina.

The findings were published in the Molecular Biology and Evolution journal.

Dr Perotti's team conducted genome sequencing on skin cells found in the lice "cement" and discovered the mummies in the Andes were originally from the rainforests in Colombia and southern Venezuela.

"We can study thousands of years of the hosts, and lice's, natural and evolutionary history just by examining the DNA trapped in the cement," Dr Perotti said.

The team even studied the DNA of the lice eggs themselves and found that the parasites' migration history matched that of the human hosts from the Amazon to the Andes.

While human DNA is traditionally extracted from the skulls or teeth of ancient corpses, this doesn't always produce clear results and is seen as culturally insensitive to indigenous people.

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But according to Dr Perotti's team, the samples extracted from the lice glue have the same concentration of DNA as tooth remains and double that of samples found in bones.

The samples were so clear they even found what is believed to be the earliest evidence of Merkel cell Polymavirus.

Discovered in 2008, the virus can cause skin cancer and scientists can now speculate that head lice might play a role in its spread.

A shark has been spotted swimming nearby a popular Victorian holiday destination, leading to the beach being closed.

VicEmergency has advised a 2.5 metre-long white shark was seen heading west from Eastern Beach at Lakes Entrance in Gippsland towards the entrance to the lake.

The beach at Lakes Entrance has been closed to reduce the threat to people.

READ MORE: 'Often not what you think': Day in the life of a man who tags great whites

https://twitter.com/vicemergency/status/1478182745738125314

READ MORE: Victoria COVID-19 case numbers soar as 54 testing sites close

Anyone who sees a shark is advised to report the sighting by calling Triple Zero (000) or notifying patrolling lifesavers immediately.

The latest updates will be shared at www.emergency.vic.gov.au

A child has drowned at Northland’s Kai Iwi Lakes and two other people lost their lives in three separate incidents on the water today. Police say they received a report of a possible drowning shortly after 2:10pm. A rescue helicopter…

The Federal Government has been accused of "sitting on their hands" as Australians seeking COVID-19 rapid antigen tests are being "ripped off" after Scott Morrison ruled out making them free for everyone.

Testing clinics for COVID-19 are buckling under significant pressure across the nation as a wave of record-breaking Omicron infections continues to gain momentum.

Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers has called for the government to act after Mr Morrison suggested free rapids were available at testing clinics, many of which are swamped with kilometres-long queues.

LIVE UPDATES: COVID-19 daily case records shatter in NSW and Victoria

"Obviously price is one of the big issues here – people are getting absolutely smashed, paying $30, $40 and $50 for a test that should be in the single digits of dollars – that's because the government won't empower the ACCC to do its work here," Mr Chalmers told Today.

"The GST is an issue that needs to be explored here – the government needs to explain why Rapid Antigen Tests are treated differently to some of the other essential aspects of our health system but the primary issues here are access and affordability – those are Scott Morrison's responsibility.

"He likes to talk about taking personal responsibility – it is time he took responsibility for this mess that he's made of Rapid Antigen Tests.

"Too many people are either going undiagnosed or being ripped off, wandering through our shops and chemists when they are contagious and vulnerable, and this must end."

After last week's emergency National Cabinet meeting, the Morrison Government agreed to go 50/50 with the states and territories so those jurisdictions could provide them free at testing clinics to those deemed close contacts.

However, Mr Morrison clarified that anyone else who wants a test will have to buy their own, despite the major shortage across pharmacies and health centres.

But one of Australia's leading pharmacy chains has urged the Federal Government to drop the GST on rapid antigen tests after Mr Morrison said he would not make the tests free to everyone out of fear of undercutting businesses.

READ MORE: Australia sweats through tree-day heatwave

Chemist Warehouse director Mario Tascone has joined the chorus of people demanding for rapid testing to be made more accessible and affordable, suggesting the GST cut as an option to relieve pressure on retailers.

"We are getting swamped with demand for these Rapid Antigen Tests," Mr Tascone told Today.

"We sell a pack of five Rapid Antigen Tests for $50, – the average family are buying two of these packs at a time, so losing the GST brings a $100 purchase down to $90 and that's a $10 saving for 10 tests."

Mr Tascone said Chemist Warehouse stocked most stores with half a million kits across the country over the weekend, but they disappeared within a matter of hours.

He said it's highly likely this will happen again when stocks are replenished in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland today and tomorrow.

PM says government has spent enough in COVID-19 support

The prime minister has continued resisting calls to make rapid tests free for everyone, saying he does not want to undercut Aussie businesses selling them.

Yesterday, Mr Morrison said the government could not keep putting money into the COVID-19 pandemic after "investing hundreds of billions of dollars to get through the crisis" over the past two years.

"We're now at a stage of the pandemic where you can't just make everything free, because when someone tells you they want to make something free, someone's always going to pay for it and it will be you."

READ MORE: Queensland island divided by giant king tide

But pressure is building on the Prime Minister from all ends, as availability of the tests continues to be a major issue for Australia compared to other countries.

Experts such as Grattan Institute health program director and former Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett said Mr Morrison's thinking was flawed.

They argued the public health benefit of providing free rapid tests would outweigh the cost. "More people will use them for sure," Mr Duckett told 9News.

"That means people who are infectious now and haven't got any symptoms will actually know they are infectious and stay at home which will actually reduce the spread."

The economist slammed a lack of foresight, comparing the latest testing issues to the bungled early vaccine rollout, and called for Australia to follow the United Kingdom's lead in not just supplying free tests but recording the results.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said it was "common sense" not to provide an "an infinite supply of a free good", arguing it would be impossible to meet demand.

"If there were an unconstrained flow of completely unpriced products, so as there was an infinite supply to an infinite number of people, then of course that demand couldn't be met," he said.

Two dogs have been rescued from a winding underground fox den after a chase went wrong in Italy.

Italian fire and rescue service Vigili del Fuoco posted a heartwarming video of the moment the pair of dogs were pulled to the surface.

The dogs became trapped on January 1 in the town of Lomazzo, an town situated halfway between Como and Milan.

READ MORE: Australia to sweat as three-day heatwaves causes temperatures to soar

In the video, a firefighter is seen removing dirt and debris from a hole by hand before pulling the first dog to safety and holding him close.

Around him the crowd breathes a sigh of relief.

The two dogs had spent about five hours trapped but were miraculously unharmed in the ordeal.

It's been an eventful start to 2022, with the coastline of two states battered by powerful surf and violent tides.

The Bay of Plenty has reached the 90 per cent fully vaccinated milestone. As of today, 90 per cent of the Bay of Plenty’s eligible population were fully vaccinated and 93 per cent had received one dose. Te Puna Ora o Mataatua Charitable…

An ice hockey fan who spotted a cancerous mole on a team's staff member at a match in Seattle, USA, has been awarded a scholarship by rival clubs.

Nadia Popovici, who is starting medical school this year, attended a game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Seattle Kraken in October.

She spotted a mole on the back of the Canucks' assistant equipment manager, Brian Hamilton, and wrote a message on her phone that she put against the window of the team box, urging him to get it checked.

LIVE UPDATES: COVID-19 numbers explode across multiple states

Mr Hamilton said he initially brushed it aside, but that he woke up the next day with the thought on his mind.

After some prompting from his partner, Jessica, he went to the doctor, who diagnosed it as a melanoma.

Mr Hamilton, and the Canucks, then launched an online search for Ms Popovici, hoping to give Mr Hamilton the chance to thank her in person.

The club posted a letter from Mr Hamilton on their social media, urging the online hockey community to help them find the "incredible" fan who had potentially saved his life.

READ MORE: Queensland island split in two by cyclone swells

https://twitter.com/Canucks/status/1477336601835487236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"The message you showed me on your cell phone will forever be etched into my brain and has made a true life-changing difference for me and my family," Mr Hamilton wrote.

"Your instincts were right and that mole on the back of my neck was a malignant tumour and thanks to your persistence and the quick work of our doctors, it is now gone."

In an news conference, Mr Hamilton said his doctor told him he could potentially have died in four to five years if the mole had been left untreated.

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"(Ms Popovic) extended my life. I've got a wonderful family. I've got a wonderful daughter. She saved my life," he said.

The social media campaign drew the attention of Ms Popovic's mother – herself a major Canucks fan – while Ms Popovic was at work.

The medical student-to-be was able to meet the man she diagnosed in person, exchanging a hug.

READ MORE: Three-day heatwave to cause 49 degree temperatures

"It was the sweetest thing," Mr Hamilton told her.

"I told Jessica, I owe it to this person to get checked."

Ms Popovic said she had been "shocked" to find out what her well-meaning message had generated.

"What an amazing way to start my journey to med school. It's pretty priceless," she said.

The Canucks and the Kraken even teamed up to provide Ms Popovic a US$10,000 ($13,900) scholarship for her student needs.