A  British tanker carrying 12 crew members who have tested positive for COVID 19 is headed for Brisbane port today.

There were originally 13 crew members onboard, but the body of one was found washed ashore in Vanuatu.

The body later was found to have tested positive for coronavirus and so far, there has been no explanation to how it ended up overboard. The remaining crew will be treated onboard by Queensland Health.
 

The Commonwealth ombudsman has released its report into the australian federal police's use and administration of telecommunications data powers.

Compliance issues were raised into the AFP’s handling of telecommunications data and location-based services.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman, Mr Michael Manthorpe said that privacy of individuals may have been breached and location based services may have been accessed unlawfully.
 

The Australian Olympic Team will be prioritised for vaccines as early as next week so they will be able to participate in the Tokyo games. Earlier, National Cabinet agreed to fast-track access for the 2,000-strong team and support crew.

Australian Olympic Committee chief executive, Matt Carroll described the decision as a great relief for the Olympians and their families, as Minister for Sport Richard Colbeck says it will be inevitable that COVID-19 will be spread at the games in July.
 

Western Australian households installed a record amount of solar power in 2020, bringing demand for electricity from the state's main grid to a new low.

The WA government said that 300 megawatts of rooftop solar power was added last year.

WA's single biggest coal-fired power plant, the Collie generator produces a similar rate at 340 Mega Watt. 
 

The United Nations has urged companies and countries to closely scrutinise their supply chains over concerns about the alleged detention and forced labour of ethnic-minority Uighurs in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

A parliamentary committee is considering an import ban on products and components produced in Xinjiang under proposed laws put forward by independent Senator Rex Patrick.  

To fill labour shortages in rural areas and produce farms, work hire agencies are looking into new ways to fill positions.

International students are being approached for fruit picking roles although students say that there is a lack of awareness about opportunities.

Outback roadhouse owners want grey nomads to fill temporary roles that have been left vacant by backpackers during the pandemic.
 

Queensland astronomers have discovered a new planet about 490 light years away from earth and its one of the hottest planets ever recorded. 

The newly discovered planet has daytime temperatures reaching 2,700 degrees Celsius.

Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics in Toowoomba led the global team that made the discovery.
 

The first permanent mental health hub has opened up in the north queensland coastal town of Ingham to provide support and community programs.

Ingham is an hour and a half drive north of townsville and the access to permanent mental health service in town is vital for some residents.

Ingham resident and PTSD sufferer, Shane Barbi, says that the hub would make a big difference to his life.
 

NSW greens and environment groups are calling on the Berejiklian government to look into environmental consultants profiting off conservation offset programs.

It comes after an investigation by the Guardian revealed that an environmental consultant holding interests in a property made more than 40 million dollars selling conservation offsets to governments.

The same consultants are reported to be a part of a consortium that has made tens of millions of dollars profiting from the scheme that was set up to protect and restore endangered habitat elsewhere.
 

Two years after being lost at sea an Antarctic sail drone has washed up on a Victorian beach.

The sail drone that was sent from San-Francisco was knocked off course by an iceberg while it was monitoring krill populations.

Waratah Bay Marine Rescue senior skipper Greg Mouldings is being instructed on how to dismantle the drone by San-Fancisco via telephone.