The International Monetary fund has released its predictions for Australia’s economic future today.

The IMF predicts a stronger economic recovery than previously predicted at the start of this year, with annual economic growth expected to reach 4.5% in 2021.

They have warned, however, that there is still much uncertainty as to how the COVID pandemic will play out; the speed of vaccine roll-outs and the emergence of new COVID strains could impact economic recovery.

Amnesty international's annual report has flagged human rights abuses in Australia including offshore detention, restriction of protests and Indigenous people’s rights.

The Report has outlined Australian lawmakers are declining to bring Australia in line with international standards despite public support for raising the minimum age of detention for children from 10 years old to 14 years old.

Almost 3 in 5 children in detention are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders.

A man has been arrested in the Netherlands over an alleged theft of two paintings, both worth over 15 million Euros. 

Spring Garden, by Vicent Van Gough was stolen from Singer museum in March last year. 

Frans Hals's Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer was stolen from Leerdam Museum in August. Neither painting has been recovered. 

Queensland is banning the use of tattoo ink that can cause cancer and bring the tattoo industry in line with European regulations.

A 2016 study found that one in five tattoo inks in use in Australia contained carcinogenic chemicals.

Queensland Treasurer, Cameron Dick, introduced the law to parliament that would make it illegal to sell ink or tattoo someone without a “compliant analysis certificate”.

Annual reports reveal that private school principals are earning about $200,000 more than the minister overseeing the entire state school system.

Half employed headmasters on total packages of more than $500,000 in 2020 while the annual salary for Education Minister Grace Grace is $327,705.

Five people have been stung by Irukandji jellyfish while holidaying in The Whitsundays over the Easter weekend. 

Two children, aged 8 and 10, were stung while swimming at Dingo beach.

The father of one child said that the girls were vomiting from pain by the time they arrived at the local hospital’s emergency department.

The New South Wales Government will pay half of the quarantine costs for international fruit pickers under a new scheme to address labour shortages.

The nation's crop losses have exceeded 52 million dollars since December and farming businesses are hoping this help will mean less crops are left to rot.

Agriculture Minister, Adam Marshall says the Agricultural sector will be the only sector to receive this subsidy.

New research has found a 60 percent decline in the number of greater gliders in parts of the Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands.

Ecologist, Peter Smith, says that this decline is due to the Bushfires that burnt 85 percent of the region last year. 

The Greater Glider is already listed as a vulnerable species nationally. 

The Biden administration is considering a joint boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, Says the boycott is in response to China’s egregious human rights violations including the genocide of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province.

The US would expect to be joined by its allies if it were to boycott the games, which are scheduled to be held next February.

Even though 10 major dams in south-east Queensland are overflowing thanks to the recent rain, Wivenhoe dam just northwest of Brisbane has missed out.

Wivenhoe Dam hit its lowest levels in over a decade last month and now sits at only 37% full.

Residents are being asked to conserve water by authorities until dams are replenished.