Bureau of Meteorology reports tsunami close call for Macquarie Island Region, 3am this morning.

With a magnitude of 6.8, the BOM recorded an undersea earthquake. However, they reassure there is no imminent threat of a tsunami for Macquarie Island or the Australian Mainland.

The Australian Automobile Association has released its latest transport affordability index. The typical household transport costs have risen by 13%, outpacing the year’s inflation rate of 4.1%. 

In 2023, transport costs rose by 12.4% for the typical capital city household and 13.7% for the typical regional household.

Higher up-front costs for purchasing new vehicles, higher interest rates on car loans, and increasing insurance premiums were attributed to the overall rise in transport costs.

Queensland Health Minister denies giving a directive that prevents vaccine-reluctant workers from finding employment elsewhere.

Since its implementation, the mandate for COVID-19 jabs has seen a loss of 1200 workers for non-compliance. Despite being lifted since September last year, some former workers have been denied job applications because of their vaccination status, something Queensland Health Minister, Shannon Fentiman, denies.

She is now calling for all health service hiring teams to be on the same page.

Over $42 million will be invested in Queensland women and girls’ fertility journeys. 

In an effort to make fertility treatments more affordable and accessible, public funding will be provided for reproductive treatments, such as IVF, for individuals undergoing complex medical conditions like cancer.

Queensland Health Minister, Shannon Fentiman, states this package is meant to give assurance for Queenslanders when significant health issues arise, as affording access to fertility services should be the last thing to worry about.

Thousands of doctors in South Korea protested the government’s plans to increase medical school admissions on the streets of Seoul on Sunday.

The doctors say that there are more problems that need to be addressed in the healthcare system by the government rather than the total number of doctors trained per year. 

These concerns include staffing in specific fields and the price the government pays for essential medical treatments, as well as establishing a proper infrastructure for educating large numbers of new medical students. 

Labor Party leads at 41.1% while Liberal Party trails behind at 39.1%.

The labor party has stayed safe this by-election, but the 3.6% swing to the liberal party does not come as a surprise with government electoral support declining since Aston. 

This comes after the government’s change in stage three tax cuts, citing the need for low and middle income earners to receive cost of living relief.

As long as they are not making a profit, Australian retailers are allowed to recover their payment costs through surcharges on card payments. Larger business do not usually surcharge as they are able to absorb the payment costs but smaller businesses require the surcharge to keep up with high inflation and rising costs. 

The Reserve Bank has introduced an initiative called least-cost-routing (LCR) to help cut card processing costs for businesses. LCR means terminals in businesses will automatically default to the lowest-cost card network to process their debit transactions.

Deputy Premier Cameron Dick announced on Sunday that $2.75 billion will be put towards building a 19km dual track from Beerwah to Caloundra, the first stage of the Direct Sunshine Coast Rail project. 

The first stage is planned to be completed by the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is estimated to make the commute from Caloundra to Brisbane 45 minutes faster than driving during peak hours. 

Construction will not begin until 2026.

These easy access, nurse-led clinics will be for vulnerable communities as a part of the Queensland Women and Girls’ Health Strategy 2032.

Premier Steven Miles hears our women and girls “loud and clear,” making note of their “unique” need for medical attention. 

Minister for Health, Shannon Fentiman, adds they will be bridging the gaps [for] culturally safe, trauma informed and gender responsive care.”

No bookings or referrals will be needed.

Israel boycotts Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo after Hamas rejected its demand for a complete list naming hostages that are still alive. 

The Israeli delegation did not arrive in Cairo for negotiations with the Hamas delegation. These negotiations were deemed as the possible final step before an agreement that would halt the fighting for six weeks.