Australia’s largest coal port has been interrupted by abseiling protesters once again as part of continued efforts by Blockade Australia against coal infrastructure.

Early this morning, two activists climbed atop machinery at the Newcastle Coal port, and lowered themselves out of reach using an intricate system of ropes and pulleys, effectively bringing production to a standstill.

Human Rights Watch has criticised the appointment of Egypt to host the next climate summit, COP27, warning the government would use it to ‘whitewash its appalling record of human rights abuses’.

The Arab country was selected last week to host the next climate summit slated for late 2022. 

According to Queensland Health’s acting deputy director general and chief medical officer Keith McNeil, Ross River accounts for the largest number of human mosquito-borne diseases in the state. 

Queensland Health data shows there has been a dramatic increase in infection rates from 1649 cases in 2019 to 3407 cases last year. 

Wildlife officials discovered over 20 dead or dying magpies in the suburb of Yeerongpilly in the space of a week with some birds being found with meat in their mouths.

Wildlife officer Cameron Wregg said, "People in the Yeerongpilly area advise that someone in the neighbourhood may be involved in the poisoning of the magpies.”

Researchers from UQ and Carnegie Mellon University in the US found even short-term exposure to air-pollution can impact our brain performance and capacity to work. 

The data found air pollution damaged cognitive function in working-age adults. 

The Torres Strait was the first region in Australia to be offered the jab in order to fortify the region against neighbouring Papua New Guinea.

However, figures show only fifty percent of eligible people in the Torres and Cape region are double vaccinated, far behind state and national averages.

Some residents woke to snow as low as sea level whilst temperatures near Hobart reached -6 degrees.

The Bureau of Meteorology said preliminary data suggested a few records had been broken with Hobart maintaining the coldest November temperature in 70 years.

US Journalist Danny Fenster who was sentenced to 11 years in a Myanmar prison just 3 days ago, has been released from jail. 

The military government says he was “pardoned” and was released on “humanitarian grounds”.