Australia’s three tiers of government should be connected online, a new report has recommended, with all citizens issued a unique digital ID to easily access services online.

The report, published by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, has detailed a vision for a digitally connected future, which could significantly cut costs and improve communication between the three levels of government.

Despite scepticism regarding its privacy, the plan has already been successfully introduced in Estonia, with strong privacy controls for citizens.

A new survey has revealed almost half of Queensland tenants are living in homes in need of repair and nearly two-thirds fear a repair request will result in a rent rise.

The report, conducted by the National Associations of Tenant Organisations, lays out alarming figures, with 8% of tenants being evicted at least once without explanation.

Tenants Queensland are calling for a restriction to rent increases to once a year, saying too many tenants are living in substandard housing.

The French Government has backflipped on fuel tax increases following weeks of violent protests, suspending three proposed increases over a six month period.

The so-called “yellow vests protests”, which started on November 17, were prompted by French President Emmanuel Macron’s taxes on diesel, but have since evolved into a more general anti-Macron uprising.

It is unlikely the suspension of tax increases will quell the demonstrations, with protestors continuing to block several fuel depots and insist the fight is not over.

Italy’s vaccine-sceptic health minister sacked every member of the country’s top panel of health advisors on Monday, saying that she wanted to give “space to the new.”

Health Minister Giulia Grillo, a member of the vaccine-sceptic Five Star Movement, fired all 30 members of the Higher Health Council, which is responsible for advising the government on health policy.

The CSIRO’s next-generation diagnostic cyber-tongue, used to detect lactose and spoilt milk has been licensed to a Canberra startup company.  

With 4% of Australians lactose intolerant and 65% of the world affected by it, the market for the product is set to grow to over $15 billion over the next 6 years.

Researchers at the University of Queensland have discovered a unique DNA signature common to multiple cancers that could one day revolutionise the way we diagnose the disease.

The cancer marker can be identified with a simple blood test, and has so far appeared in every type of breast cancer examined, as well as in people with prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and lymphoma.

The researchers are now working with the University of Queensland’s partner company UniQuest to further develop the technology.

A report on Queensland's flawed trains is yet to be released, but top bosses have been kept in the dark about design flaws, including toilets and aisles that breached discrimination laws.

Retired judge Michael Forde said middle managers did raise other issues with the trains but not the ones that have left disability advocates fuming.

Queensland has copped a bill of at least $150 million to fix problems with the trains, worth $4.4 billion.

The Queensland heatwave smashed Bureau of Meteorology November records, with temperatures hitting high 30s and into the 40s.

Cairns logged a high of 42 degrees two days in a row, and Mount Stuart scored the hottest temperature in the state; being 45.2 degrees.

The heatwave has caused trouble for firefighters around the state who are still trying to manage more than 100 bushfires, including a bushfire in North Stradbroke Island.