A young footballer fell to his death after trying to stow aboard a US military evacuation plane leaving Kabul airport, Afghan authorities have said.

Zaki Anwari, 19, had represented Afghanistan's national youth team, the BBC reports.

Afghanistan's General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports paid tribute to Mr Anwari In a statement on Facebook.

READ MORE: What life will be like under the Taliban in Afghanistan

"May he rest in heaven and pray to God for his family, friends and sports colleagues," the sports body said.

The post continued that young Anwari was "endeavouring to leave the country like hundreds other youth from his country. He has fallen down from the US military plane and lost his life."

Photographs and footage from Monday showed desperate people running alongside a US air force jet as it taxied down a runway. Some people were seen clinging to its side.

Further details of Mr Anwari's death have not been released.

A Melbourne mum has been praised for her quick-thinking actions after she saved her baby's life when she choked on toast.

The mum's rescue follows a spike in children getting seriously injured or even dying.

Baby Lyla De Sousa was munching on toast when her mum, Kathryn De Sousa, 28, quickly realised something wasn't right.

READ MORE: Victoria records 57 new cases, Melbourne marks 200 days in lockdown

"She was gagging, then it turned into silent gagging," she told 9News.

"I looked at her and she went a bit floppy."

As the 13-month-old choked on her toast, her mum picked her up and repeatedly patted her on her back.

Ms De Sousa said she then saw the toast fly out of her daughter's mouth.

The mum has been praised for her quick-thinking actions by Rachael Waia from the Tiny Hearts Foundation.

"I was just blown away by how well she did and did everything perfectly right and obviously saved her daughter's life," Ms Waia said.

Ms Waia said the incident highlighted the importance of first aid training.

"If you don't know any first aid and you are waiting for an ambulance to arrive that could be 15 minutes – and 15 minutes when it comes to children is just too long."

Between 2019 and 2020, 203 children under the age of five were treated in hospital for choking incidents, marking a 17 per cent increase on the previous year.

READ MORE: Family hit with almost $22k in fines for hosting illegal engagement party

Kidsafe is launching a new campaign to create awareness around the issue, with home being the most common place for children to be injured – from choking hazards, to driveway mishaps and burns.

One Victorian child died from a preventable injury every 11 days last year, which was the highest figure in more than 20 years.

Jason Chambers from Kidsafe Victoria said safety around the home was particularly important during lockdown.

"Our homes are places we often feel safe and secure, particularly at the moment," he said.

"We are spending so much more time in our homes, there are a wide range of hazards that are there."

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has touted a record number of vaccinations yesterday, even as a record 681 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed.

More than 110,000 got the vaccine yesterday, bringing the state to 5.5 million jabs overall.

But at least 59 of the new cases were infectious in the community, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said.

LIVE UPDATES: Regional NSW on high alert as new infections rise

The state also recorded one new death of a man in his 80s who died at St George Hospital. 

Most of the cases are in western and southwestern Sydney, and are mostly young people.

Merrylands, Guildford, Auburn, Granville, Lidcombe, Greenacre and Blacktown have been listed as suburbs where cases are on the rise.

The current lockdown will be extended for the entirety of the state until at least 12.01am on August 28. 

This includes all regional areas from the north to the south of the state and brings the lockdown into line with Greater Sydney. 

Cases have been reported in Bathurst, Wilcannia, Brewarrina, Dubbo and Mudgee.

READ MORE: Queensland's 'double doughnut day' as border with NSW set to tighten

NSW is currently treating 474 people in hospital with COVID-19. 

Of those, 82 are in intensive care and 25 are being ventilated.

The state's latest death is a man in his 80s from south-eastern Sydney who died at St George Hospital.

He had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and was being treated for another serious medical condition. 

Since June 16, 2021, a total of 61 people have died as a result of COVID-19. 

Looming decision

Ms Berejiklian has said a decision on the current NSW lockdown will be made next week. 

Currently public health orders are in place until 12.01am August 28.

The Premier has previously warned that September and October will be "tough" months. 

"We want to provide as much certainty as possible and that's why next week, we'll be conveying to the community what September and October looks like," Ms Berejiklian said. 

"But suffice to say, until we hit 70 per cent double dose and 80 per cent double dose, life will be challenging for us." 

Ms Berejiklian has ruled out returning the number of new COVID-19 cases to zero, saying "we can't live in our bubble forever". 

"Every state has to live with the fact that once you get to 80 per cent double doses and your population is allowed to live more freely, that the Delta variant will creep in," Ms Berejiklian said. 

"To assume that forevermore there will be zero cases around Australia is, I think, an assumption nobody can really make at this stage." 

Lockdown breaches

NSW Police have issued 671 COVID-19 infringement notices in just 24 hours to residents breaching public health orders. 

Of those, 393 were issued to people who were out of their home without a reasonable excuse. 

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys highlighted one case in which a Bondi man travelled to south-west Sydney at least four times. He was arrested by police and charged. 

"Here is a person that on four occasions blatantly disregarded the public health order," Mr Worboys said. 

"It is not just about the person themselves, it is about their family, their community, about people who openly go outside of the orders and put everyone at risk." 

Lockdown reset

Cases are on track to climb to over 3000 cases per day in just a month, according to one expert.

The situation in NSW was now a "national matter" and a "catastrophe", says Professor Brendan Crabb from the Burnet Institute.

He's now calling for a "reset" to the current lockdown, which is currently in week eight.

The rising number of cases is largely due to the large number of infectious people moving around within the community, despite tightened stay-at-home orders in place.

The state saw its highest daily rise yesterday with 633 new cases recorded.

"We are in a steam train that is heading towards a cliff, not heading towards a station, which is where we should be going," Professor Crabb told Today.

He predicts cases could even reach 4000 in the next 30 days.

"Last time I spoke on this program, we had 97 cases, 30 days ago. We are now at 600. If we speak again in 30 days, it will be three to 4000 cases.

"That is what we're on track for at the moment. That's a catastrophe from a health point of view. This is when our health system is now straining, really straining. That means health issues, not related to COVID, are deeply affected as well as those related to COVID."

He says the rules need to be made the same across the board before the situation escalates.

"I think we need to draw a line and reset around a program of uniformity, where everything is the same for every person, of clarity, simple set of rules force every person and every business," Professor Crabb said.

"Without this, we face being like Italy was in March 2020. Like the UK was through much of 2020. Like we have seen in places where hospital beds are overflowing and devastating the whole community. That can happen here."

That grim outlook was echoed by Professor Jane Halton, from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

"I was awake half the night worrying about it and thinking about it, as I am sure others have been," Professor Halton told Today.

"Every person who's got this disease is on average transmitting it to 1.3 others, so sadly, the numbers are marching upwards."

Yesterday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said numbers were expected to increase.

"What the data is telling us in the last few days is that we haven't seen the worst of it," she said.

At least 62 of Wednesday's cases were confirmed as infectious in the community.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant explained that every single positive COVID-19 case in the state is passing the virus on to at least one other person.

Transmission among children is a key area of concern as the state's top doctor pushes for vaccinations to be given to those aged over 12.

READ MORE: Blacktown City Council closes all playgrounds, outdoor gyms

Pharmacist Natalie Isaac told Today residents in her area of Edmondson Park, in Sydney's south west, had turned out in droves to the vaccine.

It's one of the only suburbs where 60 per cent of eligible residents are fully vaccinated.

"The response here in Edmondson Park has absolutely been tremendous and I'm so proud of the community for the uptake," Ms Isaac said.

"I have seen a positive change in people's attitudes. I think people are just realising that the vaccine is the way out. For many, the benefits just simply outweigh the risks."

But the high number of cases across the state has promoted the government to suspend all non-urgent elective surgeries across private hospitals from Monday, joining public hospitals which had already banned the procedures.

Health care staff from private facilities would move to support the public network and vaccination rollout.

A P-plater who caused a man's death when he sped through an intersection in Melbourne's north after drinking at a nightclub has been jailed.

Jayson Ziro, 21, was sentenced to two years and two months' jail in the County Court today after pleading guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing death.

Jack Baho, 20, was killed in Greenvale just after 2am on Sunday, November 25, 2018, when Ziro was just 18 himself.

READ MORE: Victoria records 57 new cases, Melbourne marks 200 days in lockdown

Despite being a P-plater, Ziro was driving home after drinking at a Prahran nightclub with a friend.

The court heard he was travelling well above the 60km/h speed limit when he approached a red light at the intersection of Aitken Boulevard and did not slow down.

Ziro instead swerved around a car waiting at the lights.

His Volkswagen Golf was travelling at 82km/h when it collided with another car in the intersection.

Judge Rosemary Carlin said the strong force of the crash, which propelled both cars across the intersection, was clear from the damage to the vehicles.

Ziro's victim was a passenger in the other car.

He died at the scene.

The driver of the other car has also been charged for causing Mr Baho's death, but his charges are yet to resolve before a court.

Less than two hours after the crash Ziro recorded a BAC of 0.046.

Ziro was not charged until 2019 and did not plead guilty until earlier this year.

He had no prior criminal history.

Mr Baho's family said the apprentice electrician was killed just days before his 21st birthday.

Judge Carlin said Ziro's "reckless and reprehensible" actions had clearly had "tragic consequences".

"What you did that night will remain with you for the rest of your life," the judge said.

Ziro was sentenced to a non parole period of 14 months, while his licence was disqualified for two years.

KEY POINTS: • There are a total of 21 Delta Covid cases, an increase of 11• The NZ outbreak has now been linked to a traveller from Sydney • Two infected people are now in hospital in a stable condition•…

Former Prime Minister John Howard has recalled the moment he decided Australia would pledge military support to the US following the September 11 attacks. 

Mr Howard was in the US on September 11, 2001, and was set to address Congress when Al Qaeda toppled the World Trade Centre towers.

See Chris Uhlmann's full report tonight on 9News at 6pm

Days later, flying home on Air Force Two, he said he spoke to then-Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. 

"I think it was Alexander Downer who said in that conversation, why don't we invoke the ANZUS treaty," Mr Howard told Nine Political Editor Chris Uhlmann in an exclusive interview. 

"We agreed then that was the right thing to do."

'When people say it is a failure they have to factor into that judgement, if they make a judgement, what might have happened if we'd done nothing'

Mr Howard said the evidence that the attacks had been carried out by Al Qaeda out of Afghanistan was "overwhelming" from the early stages. 

And as the 20-year US-led occupation of the country ends in a lightning takeover by the Taliban, he denied the mission had been a failure. 

"Judged by the original reason for going in, it was a total success because there was no like attack coming out of Afghanistan organised by Al-Qaeda," he said.  

"When people say it is a failure they have to factor into that judgement, if they make a judgement, what might have happened if we'd done nothing." 

He said the great bulk of soldiers who served in Afghanistan that he had spoken to had been glad for the opportunity, though he acknowledged that the families of the 41 soldiers killed in the country would have "a mixture of emotions". 

"But can I say to them, they fought well, they fought bravely, they fought professionally, and the nation should always be in their debt," Mr Howard said. 

"It was a proper and noble cause."

However, he was openly critical of the manner of the Western retreat from Afghanistan. 

"It's hard to be other than critical of it," he said. 

"I find it very difficult to accept in order to pull out and end military activity you have to pull out every last soldier.  

"It should have been possible for the US, in consultation with allies, to maintain a smaller presence there for an indefinite period of time." 

Watch Chris Uhlmann's full interview with Mr Howard in the video player above. 

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By RNZ The director general of health has reminded the public of the rules around isolation as hundreds of Covid-19 case contacts are identified.More than 360 contacts were formally identified as of today’s 1pm coronavirus update,…

Australia's regulatory authority has approved a name change for the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca, which will now be known as Vaxzevria.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) today approved the name change in an effort to bring the naming conventions of the vaccine in line with the European Union and Canada.

A change of name is the only change made to the vaccine.

READ MORE: Pfizer vaccine to be made available for 16-39 year-olds by next month

All other aspects – including ingredients, dosage, quality control and application – remain unchanged.

The Department of Health said the name change is expected to "alleviate confusion" and to clarify that the virus made by CSL and Seqirus in Melbourne is the same one that is produced internationally.

Looking forward, the name change will help facilitate international recognition for Australians who received the AstraZeneca vaccine.

READ MORE: Greater uptake of AstraZeneca vaccine at Sydney community clinics

"At this stage, it is estimated that supply in Australia of the VAXZEVRIA-branded product will commence in late 2021," the TGA said in a statement.

"Once supply of the vaccine commences under the new name, the vaccine will no longer be supplied under the original name.

"Some stock with the original name may still be in use after the name change."

In a statement, a spokesperson for AstraZeneca said the change of name will make the vaccine produced locally here in Australia valid for travel to Europe.

READ MORE: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine provisionally approved by the TGA for use in Australia

"Use of the Vaxzevria brand name should help simplify international travel for people vaccinated with AstraZeneca's vaccine. The vaccine has previously received emergency authorisation from the World Health Organisation," the spokesperson said.

"As such Vaxzevria, including Vaxzevria produced at CSL in Australia, is a valid vaccination for travel to Europe."

The spokesperson also reassured residents that no change was being made to the actual vaccine.

"AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine is the same product wherever it is made," the spokesperson said.

"All manufacturing around the world is conducted using the same stringent manufacturing process and each batch passes over 60 quality tests as part of our global robust quality assurance process."

Police today have arrested three people allegedly participating in a lockdown protest in Christchurch and two others in the Far North accused of refusing to wear a mask in public.”While the actions of these five people are disappointing,…