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. 

Nepal's decision to scale down festivals and centuries-old rituals due to coronavirus fears has invited a concerned response from religious leaders. 

Some are worried that divine anger could lead the country into catastrophe.

As of 30 September, there have been nearly 78,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 500 deaths due to coronavirus in Nepal.

Infections are on the rise in Kathmandu and there are fears that the disease could spread further as people travel home during the festivals.

The Amazon rainforest in Brazil is still burning and suffering its worst fires in a decade.

In September, satellites recorded a 61 per cent increase in fires in the rainforest from September 2019. 

The sudden surge in fires in the Amazon was the centre of much coverage in August last year. 

However this year, the peak of the fires have been sustained for longer as the Amazon is experiencing a longer dry season, which scientists attribute to global warming. 

Woolworths will expand its trial of cashless Metro stores in Sydney and Melbourne over the coming weeks, creating nine stores that will no longer accept physical money.

The trial is intended to help customers at CBD locations get in and out of the store fast, with more Australians turning away from cash.

Although some customers have welcomed the trial, many have criticised the move citing security and accessibility concerns. 

Australians are urged to prepare for the summer disaster season which officially begins this month. 

Emergency Management Australia released its annual disaster season briefing, following consultation with police, fire authorities and emergency services in every state and territory. 

Minister for Agriculture, Drought and Emergency Management David Littleproud says since the last disastrous bushfire season the Australian Defence Force has been working with the Department of Defence and Home Affairs to streamline support services.