Leaders of low-lying nations have joined to demand climate action at the UN this week.

Maldives president Ibrahim Mohamed Solih said that the difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees in global temperature rise is a death sentence for his country.

Guyana President Irfaan Ali accused large polluters of deception and failure, saying it is unfair that his nation will suffer the worst effects of climate change caused by larger countries.

Queensland experts are predicting hundreds of daily COVID cases once the southern border reopens.

The Queensland Premier is yet to put a date on the borders reopening, but infectious disease physician Paul Griffin has said that maintaining zero cases is not something we can sustain forever.

UQ Virologist Ian Mackay, has said that hitting 80 per cent vaccination will not stop an outbreak.

However, Mr Mackay expects high vaccination rates to curb hospitalisations and deaths.

Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has acknowledged that his party’s MPs have final say over the Coalition Federal Government’s emissions targets.

Any decision at all will need a majority of the 21 Nationals MPs to support it, and the Nationals from Queensland have been vocal about preserving coal jobs in the state.

This comes as the coalition moves towards a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.

The White House has said horses will no longer be used along the US border after images surfaced of a US border guard on horseback attempting to capture a Haitian migrant.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki condemned the US border patrol agents' use of reigns to intimidate migrants trying to cross the river and said an investigation is in progress.

This incident comes in the wake of the worsening situation in Haiti, which in recent weeks has been hit by a major earthquake and is still reeling from a presidential assassination.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison will meet US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, in Washington today in the first in person meeting of what has been dubbed ‘the quad’

The group will meet to discuss key issues including maritime security, the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, counter-terrorism cooperation, and securing supply chains for critical goods.

The group was first formed back in 2007 but garnered strong reactions from the Chinese government and at the time was disbanded to avoid further provocation

Premier Anastacia Palaszczuck has faced repeated questioning over whether Queensland will allow interstate travel for the Christmas period.

It is expected that a decision will be made next Friday with the national cabinet meeting.

As of this morning, 43 per cent of Queenslanders have been fully vaccinated, so it remains to be seen how much that number will increase before Christmas.

The state government’s vaccination football ticket giveaway scheme has been restarted after yesterday’s bureaucratic confusion.

Health Minister Yvette D’ath has said that the Therapeutic Goods Administration ordered the suspension of the program over a breach.

However, a TGA spokesperson has said they had nothing to do with it.

A plan to open two gas basins in central Queensland has activists concerned about environmental impacts despite the federal government’s claims it could create more than 5000 jobs for the region.

The mines opening in the Bowen and Galilee basins could also mean a reduction in power costs in central Queensland due to the influx of gas power to the area, but environmentalist groups say the federal government should be supporting new renewable energy projects instead.