The National Cabinet is set to discuss hotel quarantine ahead reports of Omicron variant. 

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says it is too early to make decisions about quarantine before Christmas saying while the new variant is  “concerning”, but that Australia has dealt with other strains before. 

The Australian government announced on Friday that non-Australian citizens from the 9 countries in southern Africa where Omicron was detected have been barred from entering, with 2 Covid19 positive travellers testing positive for the variant on Saturday. 

Following Local government NSW lodging a late submission to a state parliamentary inquiry in remote, rural and regional healthcare, the NSW state and federal governments are being accused of giving councils the responsibility to subsidize healthcare services. 

The submission which names 21 NSW councils say they are being disadvantaged by having to take responsibility for core state and federal responsibilities with many councils covering the cost of incentive schemes to attract staff, subsidising accommodation, and waiving fees for medical flights. 

South African president Cyril Ramaphosa says he is deeply disappointed by travel bans of travellers from Southern Africa by the UK and US amid concerns about the Omicron variant. 

Mr Ramaphosa called on countries to reverse the bans amid concerns for the possible economic damage of the bans. 

The United Kingdom has called for an emergency meeting of the G7 nations on Monday to discuss the variant.

A Brisbane based aerospace company has launched an historic rocket, kicking off Australia’s newest space programs.

Black Sky Aerospace launched Sighter 150, making it the first rocket to be designed, built and powered in Australia in 40 years.

Director Blake Nikolic says the rocket is a success setting a good precedent for future launches and says the company is working with the Australian government to advance Australia’s space industry.

Lobbyists are setting their sights on the QLD state government to impose tougher punishments on owners of dangerous dogs. 

The Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) is set to lobby the government this week after a woman and her dog was attacked on the gold coast .

Gold Coast City councillor Hermann Vorster says the dog attack incident aren’t isolated and that is “a real entrenched problem in our public open space” with the Gold Coast City Council has received 547 dog attack complaints in 2021 so far.

The Queensland government is reminding Queenslander to be aware of domestic violence as the holidays season nears with expected rates of domestic violence to heighten during the Christmas period.

The Minister for Women And for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Family Violence Shannon Fentiman says the Christmas and New Year holiday period is linked to an annual spike in rates of domestic and family violence. 

The Northern Territory plans to push ahead with reopening border despite calls from Aboriginal health groups to delay changes due to lower remote vaccination rates.

Quarantine requirements are set to be scrapped altogether from December 21st for travellers with the NT government asking for more stringent testing instead. 

With 55 remote communities with vaccination rates below 70 percent, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Chief Medical Officer Dr John Boffa says the current vaccination rates will not be sufficient in protecting communities across the state.

NSW, ACT and Victoria are set to tighten international travel rules amidst concerns about Omicron variant.

All vaccinated travellers to NSW and Victoria will be required to undergo isolation for 72 hours with the ACT taking similar measures.

Tensions are high in Burkino Faso with tyre burnings and government building pillaged by protestors after police fired tear gas to disperse crowds. 

The protests which are calling for the country’s president to resign, are angry at the government’s inability to stem terrorism linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. 

Mobile internet was cut and the demonstrations went  went unauthorised, with further tensions arising from French forces firing warning shots at Protestors in Kaya following a blockade by protestors.