The husband of Belarus’ opposition leader has been jailed for 18 years for inciting social hatred against President Alexander Lukashenko.

43 year old blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky was found guilty launching the unprecedented protest movement ahead of the August 2020 election, and was subsequently handed one of the longest sentences in country’s history.

Opposition leader and Sergei’s wife Svetlana Tikhanovskaya slammed the decision, labeling it an act of political revenge as he was made a personal enemy of President Lukashenko.

Six environmental activists have faced court over a recent protest against Adani’s new controversial Carmichael Mine.

The activists operating as part of Frontline Action on Coal pled guilty to the charges, with penalties ranging from 18 month good behaviour bonds to $2,000 fines. 

While Adani has demanded harsher penalties for protestors, spokesperson for the group Andy Paine has defended their actions, and claims Adani is out of touch with reality.

Queensland has recorded one new community case of COVID-19, a person who took two flights in the state. 

All passengers who bordered these two Virgin Australia flights from Newcastle to Brisbane and Brisbane to Townsville the day Queensland’s border reopened, has been directed to quarantine over the Christmas period.

This news comes after contact tracers have declared three flights in Queensland last week as COVID-19 exposure sites, with some passengers deemed close contacts. 

A shortage of urea has led to a potential crisis as Australia struggles to produce a crucial diesel anti-pollutant. 

Known as AdBlue, the diesel exhaust fluid is added to most modern diesel engines to help them run smoothly, however prices have increased drastically in the past year due to China limiting urea exports.

The Chief Executive of Australia’s largest AdBlue Manufacture Simon Henry says his company is pulling out all the stops to ensure stocks do not run out, despite the added costs of international importation.

Today visa holders are now allowed to enter Australia, after almost two years since Australia’s international borders closed due to the pandemic

The reopening to skilled workers and international students comes after the federal government placed a two-week pause due to concerns around the Omicron COVID-19 variant. 

The resumption also means a travel bubble with Japan and South Korea can also begin. 

Universities Australia has been delighted by this news, predicting one hundred and thirty thousand international students will be eligible for travel.

Washington DC is suing several far right extremist groups to cover the financial costs of the Capitol Building insurgency riots in January this year.

Both the so called Proud Boys and Oath Keepers will be held accountable for the protests instigated by then President Donald Trump, which left five people dead and dozens injured.

France has now joined a number of countries that have passed legislation that  either partially or fully outlaw gay ‘conversion’ practices. 

The bill which must be signed by French President, was passed after a similar ban was signed into law in Canada towards practices that seek to change a person’s sexual orientation. 

Under the french legislation, people offering LGBTIQ+ conversion theory could be jailed for up to two years and fined thirty thousand euros.