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.

A new report from the Climate Council warns that the Federal Government's lack of action on climate policy will expose Australia to serious economic consequences through international carbon tariffs.

It forecasts more than $4 billion in gross domestic product and $12.5 billion in national income could be lost if major trading partners join the European Union in imposing the tariffs.

Economist at the Climate Council, Nicki Hutley, says Queensland and New South Wales would bear the brunt with up to 70,000 job losses.

Cases of major depressive and anxiety disorders have increased by more than 25 per cent worldwide, according to a world-first study of the impact of COVID-19 on mental health.

The study led by researchers from The University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington estimated people living in countries severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic have been the most affected, especially women and younger people. 

800 Small business owners across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have been trialling a new mental health coaching program designed by Beyond Blue to combat COVID-19 anxieties.

The New Access for Small Business Owners program provides businesses with practical skills to manage stress and the turbulent economic climate. 

Beyond Blue hopes the six-week program can continue to expand over the pandemic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied using gas as a political weapon, with skyrocketing gas prices in the European union sparking an emergency summit.

Russia currently accounts for a third of the European Unions gas supply, prompting politicians to blame Moscow for not pumping enough into the system.

President Putin says Russia has met its contractual obligations within an unpredictable market, and is ready to boost supplies if asked.