By Hope NewsroomWednesday 15 Dec 2021NewsReading Time: 2 minutes
Today’s headlines from the Hope News team. You can listen to hourly bulletin updates at hopenews.com.au.
New South Wales recorded 1,360 new cases of COVID-19, while restrictions have lifted for those not vaccinated against the virus.
Masks are only required on public transport and in airports, density limits have been dropped and QR code check-ins largely scrapped.
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Tasmania is bracing for an influx of tourists and inevitable COVID-19 cases as they reopen to mainland states and territories.
The island state has opened its borders to all fully-vaccinated travellers after closures spanning of two years.
Australia’s international border is now open to foreign students and skilled workers after a two week delay because of the omicron variant.
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A major study out of South Africa shows vaccines still offer significant protection against serious illness from the Omicron strain.
The preliminary analysis shows the Pfizer jab offers 70 per cent protection against hospitalisation, but 33 per cent protection against infection.
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The distribution of taxpayer funding is back in the spotlight, with the federal government facing fresh pork-barrelling allegations.
The Herald reported a review that 11 programs showed Coalition-held seats received almost three times as much funding as Labor seats over three years.
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Girls have once again outperformed boys in reading and writing, according to annual NAPLAN results.
The 2021 NAPLAN national report, released today, showed girls performed better at literacy, boys outperformed girls in numeracy, except for students in year nine.
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Pensioners and self-funded retirees will be able to apply for a new loan product, backed by the federal government.
The Pension Loans Scheme has been re-branded to the Home Equity Access Scheme.
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The mother of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange spoke of her “unending, gut-wrenching pain” over her son’s possible extradition to the United States.
She wrote an open letter describing her fears over her son being imprisoned “for the rest of his life”.
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Australia had a win in is trade dispute with India over the use of sugar subsidies, after the World Trade Organisation ruled in its favour.
Feature Image: Getty