Man suspect of murdering Washington Post journalist has been arrested
A Saudi man suspected of being involved in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been arrested in France.
Khalid Alotaibi is one of 26 suspects charged over the murder, which took place in Turkey in 2018.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also been accused of authorising the killing by Western Intelligence Agencies, however these claims are yet to be substantiated.
Fiji leads vaccination rates
Fiji is hoping to build on its high COVID-19 vaccination rates among adults, with its sights set on protecting more and more children.
91 per cent of adults in Fiji have received both doses, which has come just months after conspiracy theories ran rampant in the village.
Amidst criticism over lack of information and connectivity in remote areas, the high vaccination rates have been attributed to a vaccination drive supported by the nation’s ministry of health and Australian government funding.
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Image Credit: ABC
Brisbane Airport criticises 'confusing' COVID guidelines for international arrivals
The Brisbane Airport has criticised Australia’s ‘confusing’ COVID guidelines for international arrivals.
Brisbane Airport corporate executives have called upon the cabinet to reach an agreement on a consistent national approach to international arrivals, criticizing that it is currently hampering the nation’s recovery.
Brisbane Airport have also expressed fears that international airports are consolidating inbound services to melbourne and sydney since they have reopened before queensland.
Nudgee Reserve community sports centre upgrades cut
Upgrades to the Nudgee Recreation Reserve community sports centre have been drastically downsized due to rising construction costs in Brisbane.
The planned upgrade would originally include a new clubhouse, dog park, and bmx track, however the council received tenders much higher than originally anticipated, leading to a renegotiating of prices, at the expense of fewer facilities.
Queensland's push for agriculture business relationships with Korea
The Queensland government has launched its second virtual agriculture and food trade mission that aims to support agri-food exporters and develop business relationships with Korea.
Emerging Queensland agri-food exporters will meet today online for a trade and investment readiness workshop, also showing a commitment to trade relations during the pandemic.
This follows Queensland government’s aim to trade more with korea, which is currently the fourth largest agricultural export market in the world.
Teachers strike for adequate salary compensation
Thousands of teachers have gone on strike to protest increases in workload in recent years, without adequate salary compensation.
The protest comes as the education industry faces an expected shortage of high performing students enrolling in teaching degrees, which current striking teachers attribute to massive workloads and uncompetitive salaries - an issue that will only worsen if action is not taken.
Australia joins diplomatic boycott of Beijing Winter Olympics
Australia will not send officials or politicians to China for the Winter Olympics in a disapproval of Beijing over its human rights record.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will aim to follow United States President Joe Biden’s administration in announcing a full diplomatic boycott, which labelled China as ‘a pretentious act’.
Australia’s decision will be formally announced in the next few days, but aims to send a signal to China over its human rights abuses in Hong Kong and over the recent treatment of tennis player Peng Shuai.
Biden warns Putin of 'strong western response'
United States President Joe Biden has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of a strong Western response should Russian forces advance on the Ukraine border.
The two leaders met via a tense virtual summit, in which Mr. Biden voiced his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and called for de-escalation and return to diplomacy.
Russia has recently deployed a large number of troops to the Ukraine border with unclear intentions, however Mr. Putin claims he considers Ukraine’s alliance with Western nations a growing threat to Russian security.
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