The death toll in India from flooding and landslides, triggered by heavy monsoon rains, has reached 159, as experts say climate change has caused the annual deluge to increase in frequency and intensity.

The country's western coast has been inundated by torrential rains since Thursday, with the India Meteorological Department warning of further downpours over the next few days.

Some 230,000 people were evacuated across the state amid the torrid conditions as the search for 100 people still missing continues.

Queensland Health authorities are on high alert after a Sydney man, who was infected with COVID-19, travelled into Brisbane just days before the hard border closure.

The flight attendant who picked the man up from Ballina airport, in New South Wales, has since become infected, however, initial fears that she spread the virus to regional communities while infectious have now been dismissed.

The man tested positive on the 12th of July, however, an error from the pathology clinic meant he was sent a text message saying he had a negative result.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is again under fire for her hotel quarantine stay, after arriving from Tokyo after a successful Olympics 2032 bid.

She is being accused of having organised a stay in an upgraded suite at one of Brisbane’s quarantine hotels, however her office denied those claims.

Acting Premier Steven Miles assured Queenslanders that any other returning traveller could find themselves in the same room at another time, and that she is being treated equally.

Former Queensland Premier and Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Campbell Newman, has resigned from the Liberal National Party.

The reason is being cited as the failure of the political wing to stand up for the party’s core values.

Mr Newman says the destruction of people’s livelihoods, jobs and freedoms under governments’ heavy-handed response to Covid-19 across the nation was the last straw.

Demonstrations have taken place in Sydney, with smaller protests held in Melbourne and in Brisbane at the Botanic Gardens, against tight restrictions imposed to tackle a rise in Covid cases.

People chanted "freedom" as they marched through the centre of Sydney.

Officers say they have made 57 arrests.

A statement from the force says, "the NSW Police Force recognises and supports the rights of individuals and groups to exercise their rights of free speech and peaceful assembly, however, the protest is in breach of the current Covid-19 Public Health Orders."

Australia, on Friday, avoided having the Great Barrier Reef listed as an endangered world heritage site by UNESCO, despite extensive climate change-spurred damage to the ecosystem’s corals.

Climate Council spokesman Will Steffen says Australia must stop censoring science, and start taking the steps required to help protect the reef.

UNESCO has accused Australia of failing to meet key water quality and land management targets, while also taking aim at the country’s conservative government for its lacklustre climate efforts.

Thousands of people marched through the capital city of Hungary, Budapest, to defend the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.

It comes after the government tried to limit discussion of homosexuality and transgender issues in schools.

A law to limit teaching on the subject came into force this month and Prime Minister Viktor Orban plans to back it up with a referendum.

A spokesperson for Hatter, the country's leading LGBTQI+ rights association, says that the law "encourages" and "legitimises being openly homophobic or transphobic."