United States Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, has ordered a review into the United States military bombings in Syria during March 2019. 

Earlier this month, the US military acknowledged that civilians “may have been killed in the bombings in Baghouz, near the Iraqi border in 2019” after the New York Times citied anonymous sources and classified documents accusing the US military of concealing the bombings. 

The newspaper reported that the bombing struck a “crowd of women and children”, killing 64 people. 

250 state schools have signed up to QLD state government’s Organics Waste Smart School’s Program. 

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon stated that: The program aims to reduce organic waste by encouraging school communities to turn food and garden scraps into usable compost and other materials.’

The program allows schools to apply for up to $2500 for projects such as worm farm systems and composting.

80% of QLD residents aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as per a statement from the Premier this morning.

It comes as the state prepares to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated interstate travelers beginning next Monday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in a statement has said that ‘Very few places in the world have got to this level of protection before a COVID wave arrives… But we can’t stop here. Let’s get to 90 per cent and beyond. Please – get vaccinated.’

An alleged gunman has been shot dead by police after a six hour standoff on Monday night. 

Peter Pilkington is accused of storming a NDIS service provider on Compton Road in the Brisbane suburb of Stretton, where five people were forced to barricade themselves from the gunmen. No others were injured.

Police Commissioner, Katarina Carroll, said there is an internal investigation underway through Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission and that The Ethical Standards Command would also investigate the incident.

The federal government has flagged its intention to increase protections for consumers who make purchases using mobile phones, buy now, pay later services and cryptocurrencies. 

Concerns have been raised in light of the recent collapse of two cryptocurrency trading exchanges, the proposed acquisition of Afterpay by American fintech firm Square inc., and reports from the financial counselors of Australia noting that these services are ‘sending people into a debt spiral’.

A group of Indigenous community leaders from far-western New South Wales have launched a national political party, with an eye to next year's federal election. 

Convenor, Owen Whyman, a Barkandji-Malyangapa elder living in Wilcannia, said the motivation for starting the party comes after feeling under-represented in the political sphere and from becoming marginalised with other major parties.

The US House of Representatives yesterday passed a $768 billion dollar defense policy bill which is set to increase the US defense budget by $24 billion, despite resistance from anti-war progressives within President Joe Biden’s own party.

Congress rejected the president’s wish to keep military spending essentially flat in a lopsided 363-70 vote, citing new threats from China and Russia as reasoning for the increase, with initiatives in the spending allocated to counter China and support Ukraine.

The Queensland Government has signaled it will join the federal government in its boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China, despite pressure from the International Olympic Committee to attend the games.

The Federal Government cited human rights abuses against the minority Uyghur population as justification for the escalation, supporting a similar diplomatic boycott undertaken by the United States.