A new bill has been proposed by the Federal Government which aims to eliminate exploitation of migrant workers from employers in the form of an agricultural visa.

The proposed bill will incorporate civil penalties and criminal offences to protect workers from threats on their immigration status or being forced to accept work that breaches their visa conditions.

In addition, any employers found to have breached either the Migration Act or Fair Work Act 2009 will be barred from employing further non-citizen employees for a specified period.

In Western Australia, the women at the Bandyup Women’s Prison will have access to a specialist treatment unit during their incarceration, thanks to the establishment of a two-point-four million dollar purpose-built mental health unit. 

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has vaccinated most of its population this past week, with UNICEF praising the country’s work as successful. 

Over 450,000 vaccines have been administered, equating to over 85 per cent of the eligible adult population.

After using up over the 550,000 AstraZeneca vaccines donated from India earlier in the year, Bhutan launched an appeal for donations. The United States via the Covax distributor came to the rescue, donating over half a million Moderna doses to assist the tiny country.

Queensland researchers have developed a new potential breakthrough in the fight against ovarian cancer that could save thousands of Australian women each year. 

Researchers from the University of Queensland have developed a new test that potentially would detect ovarian cancer much earlier than previous tests, increasing the accuracy of early detection from 50 per cent to 90 per cent. 

The Sunshine Coast Council will continue its feral animal prevention and control program says Environmental Portfolio Councillor Maria Suarez. 

The Councilor notes the increased rabbit invasions over the past year could lead to significant damage on the agriculture, environment and native wildlife if they become established. 

The Council receives nearly 700 requests for assistance in dealing with feral animal control each year. 

New plans are underway for a Torrens university campus and student accommodation tower in Fortitude Valley. 

The $40 million project will replace the largely unused 19th century Walston department store buildings on the corner of Brunswick and Wickham streets.

If approved by the Brisbane City Council, the campus will open in 2032 and could base around 2000 students. 

As Sydney’s lockdowns continue, Indigenous Australian tourism operators say they are concerned about the sustainability of their businesses due to a lack of visitors to the greater NSW area. 

In a report published by Tourism Research Australia, the Indigenous tourism sector was left particularly vulnerable by the international border closure despite seeing an increased interest from Australian tourists from the city in 2020.

Tunisia has plunged into further chaos with President  Kais Saied suspending parliament and dismissed the Prime Minister, Hichem Mechichi. 

The decision comes after a prolonged period of deadlock between the President, Prime Minister and legislature, all of which has crippled the management of the Covid crisis.

A decade on from the 2011 Arab Spring, Tunisia has seen nine governments, some only lasting a few months.