The second phase of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout begins in Queensland today, with elderly adults over 70, people with underlying medical conditions, First Nations people over 55 and critical and high risk workers eligible for the jab.

Committee hearings into the contentious Youth Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Bill conclude in Brisbane today.

The bill was introduced by Mark Ryan, Queensland Minister for Police and Corrective Services in February and has been the subject of ongoing criticism from human rights and youth advocates.

Queenslanders, particularly in the south-east, are being urged to brace for more wet weather and flooding conditions today.

Places like Deception Bay, north of Brisbane, received more than 200 millimetres of rain since yesterday morning, with the torrential rain cutting roads and drenched catchments.

Disaster recovery assistance has been extended in New South Wales, after a weekend of storms and flooding continues to cause extensive damage, with more rain expected. 

Minister for Emergency Management David Littleproud says, “Severe winds, relentless rainfall and widespread flooding has damaged roads and properties, businesses and public assets right across New South Wales.” 

Two Australians have been detained in Myanmar after attempting to leave the country on a relief flight on Friday. 

Matthew O’Kane and Christa Avery, a dual Canadian-Australian citizen, run a consultancy business based in Yangon and are reportedly being held under house arrest.

The US is proposing a new missile defence base in their Pacific territory of Guam. 

The base would have capabilities to destroy incoming missiles as well as fire on targets over 500 km away. 

The proposal supposedly aims to obstruct China’s military expansion into the Pacific.