The owner of Brisbane’s iconic Lamb house has been handed a three-month deadline to pay all overdue rates on the property or see it go to auction.

Joy Lamb owes over $321,000 on the Kangaroo Point home which has belonged to her family since its construction in 1901.

The Brisbane City Council has expressed interest in purchasing the heritage-listed property, as concern grows for the home’s survival.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has confirmed a second new case of Coronavirus in Queensland this morning.

A Cairns resident who recently returned from Papua New Guinea has tested positive for the virus and is currently in hotel quarantine.

The new case is Queensland’s second in 24 hours, after at trainer from the Queensland Corrective Services Academy returned a positive test yesterday afternoon.

At least 70 people have died and dozens injured following flash flooding in the province of Parwan in Northern Afghanistan on Wednesday morning.

A statement from the Presidential palace says that urgent emergency assistance has been requested for the city of Charikar by Afghan President Ashgraf Ghani.

Provincial spokeswoman Waheeda Shakar says that many of the victims are women and children, and that the death toll is expected to rise. 

Kim Jong-Un has made an appearance at a party meeting on Tuesday amid global speculation regarding his health.

The North Korean leader announced that the countries’ authorities should prepare for the threat of the coronavirus pandemic as well as a possible incoming typhoon.

Though a suspected case of the virus has been reported near the border of North Korea and South Korea, no positive cases of COVID-19  have been confirmed. 

An emergency situation has been declared in Darwin overnight in response to bushfire threats.

A total fire ban imposed on Wednesday will remain in place indefinitely, with extreme conditions forecast for the Darwin and Adelaide River regions expected to worsen.

Northern Territory Bureau of Meteorology manager Todd Smith says dangerous conditions fuelled by exceptionally dry air are due to peak today and last for the remainder of the week. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison denies claims that the federal government has ignored Liberal MP Russell Broadbent's warnings about the Victorian aged care sector for years.

Mr Broadbent says the government's handling of the Covid-19 outbreak in Victorian residential aged care, which has reached a total 300 fatalities so far, was a disaster waiting to happen.

 Mr Morrison says he believes the government  is holding privatised care providers sufficiently accountable by conducting a royal commission. 

Surf Life Saving Queensland have honoured their volunteers this week in a virtual celebration of excellence.

Volunteers were presented with awards in 16 different categories to acknowledge their commitment to protecting Queensland’s beach goers, and their involvement with their respective clubs.

CEO of Surf Life Saving Queensland Dave Whimpey says volunteer surf lifesavers and lifeguards are the backbone of the organisation,  and praised award recipients for going well above and beyond the call of duty. 

All correctional facilities in south-east Queensland have been placed  in stage four lockdown after a staff member at the Queensland Corrective Services academy tested positive for coronavirus.

Assistant secretary of the Together Queensland Corrections Union Michael Thomas says the man interacted with several trainees who have since visited multiple facilities.

Mr Thomas says stage four restrictions have been enforced as a precautionary measure; requiring prisoners to remain in their cells and everyone on site to wear a mask.