PM Scott Morrison announces the distribution of eight thousands doses of COVID-19 vaccine to Papua New Guinea while the government will suspend flights between Port Moresby and Cairns.

PNG records about a hundred cases a day and a half of the 500 tests conducted by Queensland facilities for PNG on Monday came back positive.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne says the 8000 vaccine doses will fill a critical gap in PNG’s vaccine program which awaits delivery of further vaccines through COVAX.

Australia’s Race Discrimination Comissioner is calling the federal government to back an anti-racism framework to be implemented nationally. 

Chin Tan says he is deeply troubled by a recent resurgence in racism both in Australia and nationally and it's time to approach the problem in the same way we look at issues like domestic violence. 

The federal government has not funded a national anti-racism campaign since 2015. 

People on JobSeeker and the community sector are calling on Parliament to stop cuts to JobSeeker and Parenting Payment in Parliament House today.

Australian Council of Social Service are calling for the base rate in the JobSeeker bill to increase by at least $65 a day which they claim will keep it above the poverty line and ensure it delivers on gender equality and justice for First Nations peoples.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously announced a 43 dollar a fortnight increase.  The legislation will be voted on this week.

Brazil’s newest health minister says he intends to continue implementing far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s policies.

Cardiologist Marcelo Queirogar is the country’s fourth health minister since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Brazil has reported 11.5 million COVID-19 cases and more than 279,000 people deaths to date.

Brisbane city council will hold a closed door meeting and require councillors to sign a confidentiality agreement for a 2032 olympics briefing.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the meeting would give councillors confidential information on the Olympics bid that could affect Brisbane's property prices.

Councillors phones and laptops will be confiscated before the briefing and only hard copy documents will be available.

Adoption rates in Queensland have decreased over decades and only 34 children have found home over the past year.

According to the data released by Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, while the adoption rate has declined over all, known-child adoption increased over the past decade from 124 in 2010 to 249 in 2019, which accounts to 75% of all finalised adoptions in Australia.

People living in the central Queensland township of Sapphire have been told to evacuate after severe storms hit the area early this morning causing a torrential downpour in the town’s creek catchment.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued an emergency alert before 5 am warning that Retreat Creek was rising rapidly and major flooding was expected.

Emergency Services said a person has been rescued from the top of their car, however believe no injuries have been reported.

Coronavirus vaccines are now available to all Australians aged 70, in the phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Appointments will be available starting next monday, with Roughly 1,000 GP clinics able to start vaccinations.

Vaccination bookings can be made online through the vaccine eligibility checker on the health.gov.au website

Group of protesters demonstrating against military rule in Myanmar have thrown petrol bombs on a bridge in the city of Yangon, setting barricades on fire.

Local media has reported Myanmar's security forces killed at least 20 people taking part in pro-democracy demonstrations on Monday, and the number added up to the total of 183 people who lost their lives during the protest.

As the tension rises, a court postponed the hearing of the elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi because of the internet outage.

A massive dust storm has descended on Beijing with meteorologists declaring it the worst in ten years. 

The sandstorm is caused by strong winds blowing in from the Gobi Desert and increasing deforestation in Northern China which previously acted as a barrier. 

The official air quality index in Beijing reached 500 on Monday. This is 10 times the air quality range which is considered healthy.