The Queensland Law Reform Commission has requested a second extension of time to present a draft bill legalising voluntary euthanasia to Parliament, expecting to surpass its deadline of May this year. 

Following Queensland Labor’s promise during the state election to introduce legislation for voluntary assisted dying by February this year, the Commission has been drafting the bill for nearly a year. Voluntary assisted dying, or euthanasia, is currently permitted in Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Papua New Guinea’s first Prime minister has died of pancreatic cancer at the age of eighty four. 

Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare  was known as the father of the nation, leading Papua New Guinea to independence from Australia in 1975 at the age of just 39.

Sir Michael’s career in Parliament spanned for forty nine years, acting as Prime Minister for a total of seventeen years over four terms.

The controversial news media bargaining code, which would allow media organisations to sign up to be paid for their content appearing on social media and search engines, passed the Senate yesterday.

It comes after talks between the Government and Facebook saw the bill amended that will require Treasurer Josh Frydenburg to consider whether the platform has made a contribution to Australia's news sphere.  

Facebook reinstated the ability to share news on their platform this morning; after removing news content in protest of the proposed laws.

Brisbane is the frontrunner in the race to host the 2032 Olympic games after the International Olympic committee made the city its preferred candidate. 

The decision won’t be confirmed until July, before the Tokyo 2021 games.   

Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk says the Olympic Committee is looking for cities that have existing venues, with Brisbane already having eighty five percent of necessary stadiums and sports halls.

"The Olympic committee are looking for existing structures," Ms Palaszczuk said.

100 dolphins have been found dead off the coast of Mozambique.

A further 86 carcasses were found on Bazaruto Island, north of the capital Maputo, on Tuesday.

Environmental experts are investigating the deaths to see if they are related to a nearby cyclone that took place last week. 

In national news, 

Coalition backbencher Craig Kelly has defected from the Liberal party, and will sit on the crossbench for the remainder of his term. 

Liberal leaders Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison stepped in to ensure Mr Kelly’s preselection when he had lost the support of the Liberal party members in his electorate.

Mr Kelly is a vocal opponent of official COVID-19 medical advice, and promotes unproven COVID-19 treatments on social media.

At least 79 inmates have died in prison riots across Ecuador, as fights between rival gangs and an escape attempt prompted violence.

“These were two groups vying for criminal leadership within the detention centres,” said Edmundo Moncayo, the director of Ecuador’s prison agency.

800 police officers are attempting to regain control of the three facilities, said Mr Moncayo. 

United Nations representatives have called for “a prompt and impartial investigation” into this week’s deadly riots, as well as “corresponding sanction to those responsible”.
 

 Queensland Greens MP Michael Berkman is calling on the Queensland Government to stop the war on drugs. 

Mr Berkman states the State Government’s current criminalisation and stigmatisation approach is ineffective. 

“I am again calling on the Government to shift to a harm minimisation approach on drugs,” involving clinically supervised injecting centres, and opioid replacement therapy.