In a move designed to take on the nation’s big 4 banks, The Bank Of Queensland has bought ME Bank for more than one point three billion dollars. BOQ says the acquisition should create an alternative to big banks and is a major step in the strategy.  Chairman Patrick Allaway says the acquisition will help the bank create better value proposition for customers.

The Israeli government has placed a gag order on its investigation into the oil spill that caused hundreds of tons of tar to wash up on its shores, causing permanent environmental damage. The government says the spill may have come from oil tankers operating illegally in the Mediterranean Sea and has warned Israeli citizens to steer clear of beaches. The spill is being described as one of the most serious ecological disasters in Israel’s history and could take years to clean up.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to rip up Melbourne’s Crown Casino’s licence if the royal commission recommends it. The state government announced it’s inquiry into the suitability to operate its Southbank casino in wake of a New South Wales report handed down earlier this month. Former federal court judge and senior barrister Raymond Finkelstein QC has been appointed to lead the enquiry.

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he denies claims he was physically restrained from punching the Chinese negotiator at the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown claims in The Guardian that the 2009 talks became heated and Mr Rudd had to be held back. Mr Rudd says Mr Brown’s account is an Urban Myth as he rejects the claims against him.  

The future of Ampol’s Lytton oil refinery is being reviewed after it posted a one hundred and $45 million loss last year. The refinery is one of just four in Australia, of which two others have already announced their closures. The loss is just the latest major hit to Australia’s sovereign oil capabilities, with Australia already relying on foreign powers for over 90% of its usable oil.

Queensland Farmers Federation has partnered with Airbnb in order to grow Queensland’s agritourism sector. QFF CEO Dr Georgina Davis says the partnership is a positive step to raise Queensland’s profile as an agritourism destination in Australia. Airbnb will run interactive webinars for farmers as part of the new partnership as Derek Nolan, Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for Australia, says guests are always looking to explore their own backyard with experiences that immerse them in regional communities

More than 50% of new enrolments at inner-city high schools designed to relieve enrolment pressure on Brisbane State High School are from out of catchment. A spokesperson for the Department of Education says the numbers are not unexpected as in-catchment parents opt to send their children to established, well-regarded schools. Brisbane South State Secondary College and Fortitude Valley State Secondary College cost $240 million to build and are expected to enrol over 3000 students by 2025.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei says Iran is prepared to increase its uranium enrichment to sixty per cent amid Western pressure to re-enter the 2015 nuclear deal. If Iran follows through on the ayatollah’s threat, it would be tripling the purity of its current uranium stockpile and exceeding the limits laid out in the 2015 deal by sixteen-fold. The United States and several European nations are pressuring Iran to return to the nuclear deal after former US President Donald Trump pulled out in 2018.