Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has suggested that Australia assist Papua New Guinea with its COVID-19 vaccine roll-out amid a recent virus outbreak. Palaszczuk says the assistance would not only help to prevent a potentially devastating outbreak in the Torres Strait Islands, but also protect mainland Queenslanders as many Papuans fly in and out of mining jobs in North Queensland. The Queensland government is prioritising vaccination in the Torres Strait Islands, citing low health outcomes in the region, with the first vaccines expected to be administered in the Torres Strait this weekend.

Gautum Adani’s wealth has jumped to $16 billion u.s to $50 billion u.s. This has proved more valuable than Elon Musk’s Tesla and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon this year. Adani plans to go ahead with the Carmichael thermal coal project in central Queensland under the new company name of Bravus.The businessman’s workers made complaints of poor conditions and food poisoning leading to sickness while Bravus says we do our best to cater for the dietary requirements of the people at the camp.

Agrobusiness financial house Rabobank says confidence among Queensland farmers is at one of the highest levels it has been in two decades. The optimism comes amid strong commodity prices, low interest rates and a positive economic outlook. However, farmers say a bit of rain would do even more to boost their confidence after a largely dry summer across the state.

Dutch logistics company Vanderlande, plan to make waiting at luggage carousels a thing of the past at a new airport in Badgerys Creek a suburb in Sydney. Vanderlande has won the right to operate the baggage services at the new airport and plan to use an app that will tell people when their bags are going to turn up. Federal Minister Paul Fletcher says this will end one of travels biggest stresses. Bags will be digitally traced and tagged from check in to baggage claim once the airport is operational. Simon Hickey, Western Sydney AIrport CEO says this really brings us into a modern era.

A Medecins Sans Frontieres report says barely one in ten health facilities in Ethiopia’s Tigray region are functional as the region grapples with a worsening humanitarian crisis. Of the one hundred and six facilities MSF visited, it says one in five was occupied by armed soldiers, with one being used as an army base. Tigray has been in crisis since November when the Ethiopian national army invaded the region over a disputed election.

Brazilian Vice Present Hamilton Mourao has told the Brazilian people that they are to blame for the country’s high COVID-19 case and deaths numbers. He said it is not in Brazlians’ nature to respect the rules and that the Brazilian people enjoyed partying and going out too much to wait for restrictions to ease. The comments come amid a continuing drop in support for the Bolsonaro administration, with Brazilians blaming the government for failing to adequately respond to the health crisis.

The top levels of Queensland’s public service are undergoing a reshuffle following the resignation of the Director-General of The Department of Premier and Cabinet Dave Stewart.

Mr Stewart is leaving his post of six years to become Queensland Agent-General in London.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked Mr Stewart for his service and said the appointment of current Under Treasurer Rachel Hunter as his replacement was good timing as it coincided with Brisbane’s Women’s March yesterday.

Brisbane City Council is set to meet next Tuesday to receive a briefing on organising the 2032 Olympic Games and vote on submitting a formal bid.

The International Olympic Committee has already named Brisbane as its preferred partner for the games.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says hosting the Olympics would boost Brisbane’s economic recovery and give the city a lasting legacy.