A US advisory panel consisting of the US Food and Drug administration voted in favour of authorising the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine for emergency use. 

The vote by 22 US experts is not binding, but the FDA is expected to follow the recommendations of the panel. 

The Pfizer vaccine is now in use across the UK. 

The Minneapolis council will cut almost 8 million US dollars from its police budget in the wake of the death of George Floyd at the hands of South Minneapolis police earlier this year. 

The money will be redirected to other city services including the funding of mental health crisis teams. 

The plan was approved unanimously by the council. 

The United Nations has defended its decision to block Prime Minister Scott Morrison from speaking at a climate summit this weekend. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is hosting the conference alongside the UN, invited Miorrison to speak at the summit weeks ago but reneged the offer this week over whether Australia’s climate change policies were sufficient to warrant a spot speaking. 

Vision Australia is calling for accessible emergency services for people with a disability.

In an emergency, critical information is often conveyed visually - a problem for people who are blind or have low-vision. 

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has defended removing fresh air breaks for people in hotel quarantine as QLD’s human rights watchdogs raises concerns about the program’s transparency. 

Dr Janette Young says that the breaks were removed as they were the most obvious source for transmission within the hotels. 

Dancing will be allowed in Queensland venues from midday next Monday, Health Minister Y’vette D’Ath announced yesterday. 

Mosh pits are still not allowed but spread out dancing can take place in clubs, bars and RSLs across Queensland. 

Premier Anastasia Palasczuk announced this morning that Queensland will open its borders to New Zealand as of 1AM on Saturday December 12th. 

The premier was given the go ahead by Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young last night. 

New Zealand is currently at 28 days without any community transmission.

Five people were arrested in Brisbane CBD at an unsanctioned climate protest yesterday afternoon. 

The climate protesters were a part of the Extinction Rebellion group. The protest began at 4pm on Thursday and blocked traffic throughout the Brisbane CBD. 

The government has lowered the Jobseeker rate in a cut to the coronavirus supplement that passed through Parliament last night. 

By the end of 2020, people on Jobseeker will receive $50 a day, only $10 more than the Newstart rate that hadn’t been changed in 25 years.