The Loop: Morrison stands by Warringah candidate Katherine Deves, Russia's push for Donbas explained, Ash Barty trades racquets for clubs

Hi there. It's Tuesday, April 19 and you're reading The Loop, a quick wrap-up of today's news.

Let's start here

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has doubled down on his support for controversial Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves.

Some members of the Liberal Party have renewed calls for her to be disendorsed, but Mr Morrison continues to throw his support behind her, today saying he thinks she "will make a great member of parliament".

"I will stand up with her, my team is standing up with her, and we will make sure that she won't be silenced," he said.

You can catch up on the PM's comments in more detail here:

The PM says he will not allow Katherine Deves to be silenced.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese says the Warringah candidate's stance on transgender people is "divisive within the community but it's also divisive within the Liberal Party".

What else is going on

• After withdrawing its troops from Kyiv, Russia is now focusing on the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, close to the Russian border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it's an offensive that Ukraine has been expecting and its military has been preparing for - here's why Russia has eyes on Donbas and how Ukraine is defending it
• A world title elimination weigh-in has descended into chaos after Michael "Pretty Boy" Zerafa and Issac "The Headsplitter" Hardman appeared to forget that their scheduled fight isn't until Wednesday. The bitter rivals traded a flurry of shots before being separated and the staged weigh-in was cancelled ahead of their high-stakes middleweight showdown at the Melbourne Convention Centre tomorrow night

Boxers Michael Zerafa and Isaac Hardman jumped the gun at their weigh-in event.

What Australia has been searching for online

• Ryan Campbell. The former Australia ODI wicketkeeper is fighting for life in a London hospital after suffering a heart attack. The 50-year-old was at a playground with his children on the weekend when he collapsed
• Cristiano Ronaldo. Friends and fans are sharing messages of support after he and partner Georgina announced that one of their newborn twins has died. "Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness," the couple says. They have three older children together, and Ronaldo also has an 11-year-old son

One more thing

Sports lovers Australia-wide and tennis fans around the world have been desperate for news on Ash Barty's next career move after her shock resignation from professional tennis.

We know the former world number one is a pretty handy golfer, and in the short term at least, it looks like that's how she'll be spending a bit of time.

The 25-year-old has been named to play in golf's inaugural Icon Series in Jersey City in June, where a USA team is set to battle sporting stars from around the globe. 

Ash Barty's been pretty coy about detailing her plans post-tennis. (AAP: Joe Castro)

"Bringing together the world's most iconic athletes across multiple sports, the relentless competition will feature a 10-hole team match-play tournament format, unprecedented access for a global audience and showcase sporting stars like never before," the event's website says.

Barty will line up in Team Rest of the World, which also features boxer Canelo Alvarez, footballer Harry Kane and Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els, who will captain the team.

You're up to date

Thanks for reading, we'll see you again tomorrow.

ABC/wires