The federal budget will be released on Tuesday, with Treasurer Josh Frydenburg expected to announce more than $10 billion on major infrastructure, in an effort to boost productivity and employment.

Experts are calling on the federal government to focus on ‘economic infrastructure’ instead, including childcare, social housing, aged care, and disability care.

The Queensland government is calling for heavy investment in social and community services, housing-related debt, rental affordability and greater support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

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A series of bomb blasts outside a secondary school in Afghanistan during a peak holiday period has killed more than 50 people, mostly female students.

The government is blaming the Taliban for the attacks, with insurgents denying responsibility, instead issuing a statement saying the nation needed to "safeguard and look after educational centres and institutions".

Space agencies are tracking the path of a 30m long Chinese rocket that is falling uncontrolled back to Earth and predicted to land some time in the next few days. 

The 22.5 tonne rocket is among the top ten largest objects to fall uncontrolled to Earth and is predicted to land somewhere between Boston and Hobart. 

Space junk expert Ted Muelhaupt says the chance of the debris landing in an inhabited area are very slim due to the amount of the Earth covered by water. 

Trade Minister Dan Tehan has expressed his disappointment over the dissolution in diplomatic relations with China, after Beijing indefinitely suspended all contact under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue.

The decision to cut talks comes after the Morrison government cancelled Victoria’s Belt and Road agreement with China.

Tensions have been rising between Canberra and Beijing, with Beijing launching a strike against Australian commodities over the past year. 

Médecins Sans Frontières has moved to provide support for domestic violence services in centres of Australia that are struggling under funding pressure as demand for help triples through the pandemic.

Last year the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre in New South Wales saw its waiting list increase from 2 weeks to 4 months and the number of women seeking help has risen by 50%.

The Queensland Government has announced a $2million campaign to give tourists a taste of farm life in the State.

The campaign aims to attract tourists to visit the Queensland farms to help diversify their income as part of the states Economy Recovery Plan.

The initiative will go for two years, and will entice visitors to take a step away from the coastal cities and extend their stay inland.

Brisbane City Council has expanded the cap on e-scooters from 1,000 to 1,500.

Much of the expansion will be seen in the western suburbs, around UQ’s St Lucia campus. 

State MP Michael Berkman commented that while he was happy to see more transport options, he was concerned about the lack of regulations and infrastructure for e-scooters.

Shooting stars will be visible from Brisbane tonight and over the weekend during the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, so called as the shower appears to originate from a star in the Aquarius constellation.

It will be possible to see up to fifty meteors every hour, with the best visibility at around 4am just after the moon sets. 

The cause of the shower is Earth passing through the trail dust left by Halley’s Comet, and the ensuing fry up of stardust in the atmosphere.

Jupiter and Saturn will also be highly visible.