ASEAN envoy Erywan Yusof cancelled his visit to Myanmar after being informed he could not meet with ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The cancellation is believed to stem from members of the ASEAN regional body wanting to punish Myanmar for hindering the envoy’s work and for their alleged lack of cooperation.

Myanmar’s military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun says Yusof could not meet Suu Kyi due to the criminal charges filed against her.

An increased number of nurses and police officers have appealed to contest their employer’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate to the Supreme Court.

The Nurses’ Professional Association of Queensland wanted mandatory vaccination of health workers overruled, claiming it is unlawful. 

In a separate bid, the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission on behalf of the Queensland Police Service said employees were not consulted about the mandate and the QPS lacked the administrative power to make the directive.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says her “plan for the children” last month has been justified as the Therapeutic Goods Administration have fast-tracked Pfizer approval for children aged between five and 11. 

Her comments mentioned under-twelves should be included in the vaccine program caused a stir from certain federal Coalition members, the state opposition and from people wanting to return to Queensland.

Queensland is now the state with the highest job boost, as September’s unemployment rate reached its lowest point in over twelve years. 

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed Queensland’s number of employed people went up 1.2 percent from August to reach 2.66 million. 

Despite the rise, the state also recorded the second-worst unemployment rate at 4.9 per cent behind South Australia’s 5.1 percent. 

The Wangkamadla people have celebrated the renaming of Cravens Peak reserve into Pilungah. 

Named after an important spring on the reserve, the change acknowledges the connection the Wangkamadla First Nation people have with being the traditional owners of the land. 

The 233,000 hectare nature reserve is located in central-west Queensland on the edge of the Simpson desert, and is noted for its refuge for wildlife and deep red sand dunes.

A tornado has caused extreme damage in the NSW Northern Tablelands’ town of Armidale during a storm last night with reports of house roofs being torn, large trees falling and vehicles getting totalled.

The State Emergency Services received over 125 requests for assistance from Armidale, and half of the town is without power.

The wild weather follows the severe storms that hit the Greater Sydney region earlier. 

A protest in Beirut has escalated into violence as armed men trade fire, leaving six dead and more than a dozen injured. 

Hezbollah supporters had gathered in the Beirut Justice Palace calling for the removal of judge Tarek Bitar from the Beirut 2020 port explosion probe, accusing him of bias. Hezbollah supporters also claimed a rival Christian faction targeted the protest with snipers, leading to the chaos.

The Lebanese army was called in to contain the situation.