John Bugy Bugy Christophersen, a Murran man from the Cobourg Peninsula, died on the weekend after a long illness.

Mr Christophersen was one of the organisers of a convoy that took forty thousand people to Sydney to protest the bicentenary of British settlement and the treatment of Indigenous people in Australia in 1988.

Mr Christophersen also became the World Council of Indigenous Peoples’ vice-president in 1990 and was the longest-serving member and deputy chairman of the Northern Land Council

The Czech Republic is threatening to expel all Russian diplomats from Prague after accusations Russia was behind an explosion in an ammunition facility in 2014. 

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis describes the explosion as “an unprecedented terror attack on our territory.”

Foreign and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek is expected to summon the Russian Ambassador today to discuss further steps after 18 Russian diplomats, believed to be secret agents, were expelled from the country earlier this week.

The President of Chad, Idriss Déby has died while visiting troops on the frontline of a fight against northern rebels from Libya.

President Déby’s death comes days after he won his 6th presidential election.

Rebels based across the northern frontier in Libya attacked a border post on election day and have advanced south hundreds of kilometres.

Queensland researchers developing new treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder have seen promising results following a successful clinical trial. 

Deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain, has proven to be effective in treatment for severe OCD. 

Dr Phillip Mosely, from the Queensland Brain institute and lead researcher in the study describes Deep Brain Stimulation as a ‘pacemaker for the brain’ and ‘a treatment that is both adjustable and reversible.’

Mining exploration in North Queensland is set to boom with the mining of vanadium for batteries rising in demand.

Vanadium is a mineral with natural resistance to acids, traditionally used in reinforcing steel is now being used in giant batteries to stabilize renewable energy .

North Queensland has deposits of vanadium that could supply current demand for 120 years.

Queensland energy heavyweights will be meeting in Gladstone today to discuss how to manage changes to the energy sector across Central Queensland at The Energy Futures Summit.

The summit will bring together energy companies, state, local and federal government departments, unions, environment groups, education institutions and Traditional Owner groups. The outcomes and recommendations from the Summit will be presented back to the State Government for consideration in planning processes.

Just as the Australian and New Zealand travel bubble has opened a New Zealand airport worker has tested positive to covid-19.

The worker contracted COVID-19 from a passenger who arrived into New Zealand on an international flight more than a week ago.

No changes have been made to the Australia - New Zealand Travel bubble has not been affected.

The Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Frances Adamson will make a statement today calling the military coup in Myanmar "one of the sharpest challenges our region faces"

Australia has suspended military cooperation with the coup leaders, Australia has not imposed fresh sanctions on leading figures in the military regime.

Derek Chauvin has been found guilty on all counts of the murder of George Floyd.

Chauvin faces up to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, up to 25 years for third-degree murder and up to 10 years for second-degree manslaughter.

Ben Crump, one of the lawyers representing Mr Floyd’s family says the case is a turning point in American history for accountability of law enforcement.