Victoria has recorded 9 new cases of coronavirus overnight.

No deaths have been recorded in the state for the last 24 hours. 

This is the first time in almost three weeks that the state has recorded  zero deaths in a 24-hour period.

Data from the Office of Liquor and Gaming has revealed that $293 million dollars was spent on gambling and pokie machines in Queensland this July.

Experts claim that the spike is linked to the government’s Jobseeker and Jobkeeper stimulus packages.

Mental health charity Lifeline fears that the number of gambling addicts who need assistance will only increase in the coming months. 

If you or anyone you know needs help, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

As Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and opposition Leader Deb Frecklington are about to enter the formal campaign stage of the state election, the State opposition is offering to cut land tax by 75 per cent on selected projects to create a “build to rent” scheme in Queensland that should “drag Queensland out of recession”.

The LNP said its plan could attract about $2 billion in private investment, create 4600 construction jobs and see 4000 homes built over the next 10 years.

In exchange for the reduced land tax, owners would be asked to offer some units at affordable rent.

Queensland Government announced today early development will start on a $380 million wind farm in Far North Queensland before the end of the year, creating 150 jobs, thanks to a sales deal with publicly-owned CleanCo.

 Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said Neoen Energy would build the Kaban Green Power Hub near Ravenshoe, 80 kilometres south-west of Cairns now that CleanCo had agreed to buy 110 MW of the wind farm’s output.

Brexit should be finalised on December 31 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission president agreed on Saturday the two sides shared enough common ground to aim for a final settlement.

Britain formally left the European Union at the end of January but remained part of the bloc’s customs union and single market until the end of the year while both sides discussed permanent arrangements.

Closure seems to be essential after years of negotiations but it has raised questions on Britain's future relationship with the European Union.

Journalists within the United States took to social media on Sunday to express their concerns that the US Government has provided contradicting information in regard to President Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis. 

Journalists for The New York Times, ABC News and Associated Press have shared that a report sent to them from the White House featured an anonymous source who said Trump’s condition was ‘very concerning’, despite physician Doctor Sean Conley announcing in a press conference that he was recovering well.

International student visa applications from outside Australia have significantly dropped, raising serious concerns of an increasing budget black hole for Australian higher education.

Department of Home Affairs data shows 72,397 student visa applications have been received from prospective overseas students from January to July, which is only 40 per cent of the total for the same period last year. 

This lack of interest from international students would be strongly linked to how the government has managed the pandemic situation. 

The federal budget, to be implemented on Tuesday, will include a one point two billion dollar package aimed at creating more apprenticeships. 

According to Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, the package will pay half the wages for a new apprentice taken on by a business until March 2021. 

Small businesses will be eligible for the grant if they employ less than 20 people, and the apprentice was undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship after July 1 2020. 

The Honourable Di Farmer, Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, has affirmed that if the Palaszcuk Government is reelected, they will introduce new strategies to address coercive control. 

In a press release, Ms Farmer recognised the difficulty of identifying this behaviour, and said the Government will introduce specialist training for first responders and domestic violence case workers.