France has introduced tougher coronavirus regulations across the country, including a curfew on its capital Paris and eight other cities.

President Emmanuel Macron informed reporters that the 9pm to 6am shutdown will be in place for up to six weeks from Saturday.

Earlier this week, France’s government had stated it would extend the nation’s state of health emergency. 
 

Mining giant BHP has confirmed that its Chinese customers have deferred their coal orders for the time being.

The statement comes as commodity analyst S&P Global Platts reported Chinese steel producers and Chinese power firms were ordered to stop importing Australian coal.
 

Construction on the Neville Bonner Bridge has begun in Southbank, the planned bridge stretching 320 metres to connect Southbank with the CBD’s Queen’s Wharf precinct, also currently under construction.

Slated as the first new Brisbane bridge in over a decade, the bridge is named after late Indigenous Senator Neville Bonner, who was the first Aboriginal Australian to become a member of Parliament.

Filming for a new TV show based on Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s formative years has begun in Brisbane, with Bradley Constant starring as “The Rock” aged 15.

Filmed in Strathpine, the Moreton Bay Regional Council has taken care to inform locals about potential disruptions and restrictions due to filming.

Mayor Peter Flannery has fast-tracked film procedures and processes so that filming could start quickly, and is hopeful that this show will attract more Hollywood and film productions to the region.
 

Prominent Australian sportswoman, Jacinda Barclay, has died at the age of 29, with tributes flowing in from teammates and coaches. 

Barclay, who played most recently for Greater Western Sydney, was successful in many sporting endeavours, including baseball, Australian Football and American Football.

Barclay’s family remember her as a “shining comet” “casting radiant light of love on all she met”, and have asked for privacy during this time.
 

Due to rising tensions between Australia and China, China has stopped accepting coal from Australia.

This follows a number of incidents that have seen the trade relationship between Australia and China break down, including Australia’s call for an enquiry into the origins of coronavirus.

Despite temporarily losing its biggest importer of coal, Prime Minister Scott Morrison seems unconcerned, noting that deferments are not uncommon in China.
 

Ongoing rains and flooding in the Indian city of Hyderabad have lead to the deaths of at least 18 people, as well as causing significant damage to buildings and crops.

The heavy weather of the last three days is expected to continue, with rainfall records reaching their highest peak in over 20 years. 

Floods and heavy rainfall has negatively impacted over 9.6million people in South Asia this year, leaving many without adequate food or shelter.
 

With COVID-19 spikes and second waves arising, European governments are preparing to implement new restrictions to counteract the disease.

Partial lockdowns are being imposed, including shutting schools, bars, cafes and restaurants, with France considering a new curfew rather than another lockdown.

Infection rates across Europe are beginning to rise again, even within countries that have had great success in keeping infection rates down until now.