Japan’s environment minister has announced his government is preparing to introduce a carbon tax in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Minister Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi says he hopes this will cause a gradual phase out of coal plans over the next two decades, while developing new technologies to reduce, capture and utilise carbon. 

Environmental groups and critics are urging Japan to focus more on promoting renewable energy, saying current policies will just prolong use of coal. 

Japan hopes this new policy will lead to a zero-emissions push in Asia.

The United States have warned of Russia’s potential to attack Ukraine at any moment, as thousands of Russian troops have reportedly gathered on the Ukrainian border.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently in talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an attempt to quell tensions, however the United States have stated that no option would be off the table in regards to a potential retaliation from the West.

The family of the youngest Queenslander to die from COVID-19 is calling for answers surrounding his treatment at the Redcliffe hospital.

28 year old Lachlan Moore passed away earlier in January from what has since been discovered to be a brain bleed, shortly after being sent home from hospital.

While Lachlan was born with Angelman syndrome leading to complications with the virus, his father Ron and mother Megan believe hospitals need to take care with patients suffering from underlying conditions, in order to reduce mortality rates.

More Brisbane flights will be required to arrive and depart over Moreton Bay and spend less time at low altitude, after an independent forum acknowledged community concerns about the noise. 

Residents in Bulimba and neighbouring suburbs have made hundreds of noise complaints since Brisbane Airport opened its second parallel runway in 2020, prompting Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia to accept the recommendations in the forum.

Community environmental organisation Watergum is planning a large-scale cane toad bust in an effort to curb the current pest numbers across the country.

On January 24th, Watergum is calling on citizens to help reduce numbers by removing fertile adult toads before they can reproduce, and destroying tadpole nests to allow native species to repopulate.

Invasive Species Manager Emily Vincent says when halting the breeding process, it's important to act fast, as cane toads tadpoles develop much faster than native frogs and monopolise food resources in the area.

Consultation on the draft national plan to end violence against women and children has been extended following criticism that the two-week deadline for the review was ‘disrespectful’. 

The draft which was released by the federal government on Friday is the culmination of 18 months of extensive and detailed consultation. 

Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgens was one of 8,000 people who signed an open letter calling on the government to extend the original two-week deadline to at least six weeks in hopes to ensure affected women have sufficient time to read it. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has publicly reprimanded backbencher George Christensen over anti-vaccination comments.

Christensen has a long standing history of criticising the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, however most recently he has encouraged parents to listen to a podcast episode allegedly outlining harmful effects of the vaccine.

Morrison has condemned the message for going against official health guidelines, and urges parents to disregard Christensen’s dangerous messages.

Tonga’s government has released its first official update since the volcanic eruption and tsunami on Saturday, saying the death toll could rise. 

With communications previously hampered by a damaged undersea cable, Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni announced yesterday in a statement that all homes on one of Tonga’s small outer islands have been destroyed by the eruption, with three people so far confirmed dead. 

Sovaleni has described the tsunami effects as an ‘unprecedented disaster’ with the island losing a substantial percentage of its initial surface area.