South-East Queensland dams have reached 10 year lows after record breaking summer temperatures and below average rainfall.

Brisbane dams are currently at a combined capacity of 70% compared to 82% last year at the same time as Sydney begins implementing early-stage water restrictions as its dams dip below 55% capacity.

While the conditions are far from drastic, residents in Australia’s capital cities are being asked to be mindful of their water use.

Moreton Bay Regional Council is under fire for deliberately sweeping dealings between an events company and the Bee Gee’s Barry Gibb under the rug in the lead up to his homecoming visit to Redcliffe in 2015.

Councillors were warned not to publicly comment on or debate the $100,000 in funding provided for the event by The Moreton Bay Region Industry and Tourism group.

A junior LNP minister has been reported spending some $750,000 on staff travel in 18 months, including $108,000 on airfares and $31,000 in travel allowance for a single Canberra-based staffer who is under scrutiny for bullying claims.

Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt has been accused of enabling his senior adviser to create a toxic work environment of bullying intimidation which resulted in a secret enquiry into the minister’s office.

Norfolk Island is quickly becoming overrun with derelict cars now that residents have stopped them in the ocean.

The island is home to less than 2,000 residents, and due to the extreme cost of removing waste from the island, they became accustomed to dumping rubbish in the ocean.

The council has made plans to a metal baler to crush used cars, and send them back to mainland Australia, but shipping delays mean the baler may not be up and running for many months.  

Some passengers who survived the fiery crash of a Russian plane on Monday are believed to have held up the evacuation of the plane to grab their carry-on luggage.

The crash killed 41 people when the aircraft burst into flame after making an emergency landing shortly after take off.

The cause of the crash is currently unknown, but an agency spokeswoman says they are investigating bad weather, equipment failure, and inexperienced pilots as three main possibilities.

Michael Cohen has begun his prison sentence at a Federal Correctional Institute in New York State this morning.

Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer is serving a three-year sentence for financial crimes, arranging hush payments to alleged sexual assault victims, and for lying to Congress.

The minimum security prison has been described as “Jewish heaven”, with a full time Rabbi and access to a kosher food menu.