Queensland has recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 after 15,000 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours with one new case in hotel quarantine and another five cases on a bulk carrier ship off the western coast of Cape York. There were 20,559 vaccinations conducted at Queensland government centres yesterday which means Queensland has now delivered over 5 million doses of the vaccine. Currently, 68.3 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had the first dose of a vaccine, and 49.5 per cent have had two doses.

More than 111,000 people have signed a petition for gender affirmation to be covered by Medicare, to reduce cost barriers faced by people seeking gender affirming surgery. Through the current Medicare insurance system, people are able to access certain health services for free or at a subsidised cost. However, transgender people and other people in need of gender affirming surgery pay up to $30,000 for the procedure.

Colombia has deployed a new unit of 14,000 military personnel on Wednesday to increase government control of a conflict hotspot near the Venezuelan border, where multiple armed groups compete for control of cocaine production. The new unit deployed in the northeastern province of Norte de Santander is the largest in Colombia's recent history. The province is one of Colombia's most violent regions and the site of recent high-profile attacks. 

Home quarantine trials will soon begin in Queensland, starting with 1000 people stuck interstate who have been hand-picked to participate. Participants must already be residents of the Sunshine State - not relocating - and must arrive in Brisbane by air.

Strict conditions will be in place on those who choose to accept the measures: They must have a smartphone, agree to respond to text messages, live in a house (not an apartment), and have all household members sign a statutory declaration saying they won't leave the home for 14 days. 

Wangan and Jagalingou Cultural Custodians have marked six weeks of continuous cultural ceremony at the edge of Adani’s Carmichael mine in central Queensland, to prevent the destruction of their country and the sacred Doongmabulla springs.

The custodians are using the Queensland human rights act as a legal avenue to stay on their own land - practicing their traditional language and bushcraft since the ceremony began on August 26th, with the construction of a traditional Bora Ring. 

The French ambassador will return to Canberra, following their withdrawal in the wake of Australia’s controversial AUKUS submarine manufacturing deal. 

The federal government’s AUKUS pact saw Australia blindside the French government by backing out of a deal to manufacture military submarines in the European nation, instead turning to a deal with the US and UK to galvanise defensive capabilities against China.

Incumbent New South Wales Premier, Dominic Perrottet, has announced new measures as the state prepares to reopen on Monday next week, after hitting its 70% double vaccinations target.

From Monday, indoor home gatherings will double to 10 visitors and outdoor gatherings will increase from 20 to 30. 

Caps on outdoor weddings and funerals will double to 100. Children will return to school by 25 October: 

Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 will return as previously announced on 18 October, with all other years to follow the following week.

The World Health Organisation is celebrating a breakthrough in malaria treatment after recommending the only approved vaccine for wide-scale implementation across countries in Africa. 

A large scale pilot program by the WHO has seen two point three million doses of the Mosquitrix vaccine administered to babies in Malawi Ghana and Kenya since 2019.