It's another step towards freedom for the ACT and Melburnians today as both jurisdictions see a further easing in restrictions.
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Melburnians are expected to flock to Victoria's regions for an unofficial long weekend as statewide travel resumes and more COVID-19 restrictions ease.
The metro-regional border will reopen from 6pm on Friday, ahead of the state hitting its 80 per cent full vaccination target, paving the way for a mass exodus from the city.
In the ACT, masks will no longer be required to be worn outdoors, while the number of people that can gather at a home will double from five to 10. Outdoor gatherings can now have up to 30 people.
The eased restrictions, which kicked in from midnight, also allowed for density limits to increase for pubs, restaurants and cafes.
Climate change debate continues on
Australia's central bank and the prudential regulator have flagged climate change will bring added costs, particularly in the price of insurance premiums.
Fronting estimates on Thursday, the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority confirmed both regulators were in the process of internal climate change modelling and the impacts global warming will have on the nation's financial framework.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Scott Morrison has headed off for United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland.
He will arrive at the most important global climate talks in years with a plan that has been variously described as weak, incomplete and little more than an aspiration.
The conference has been described as the world's "best last chance" to solve the climate crisis. But if you want to know more about COP and why Australia has failed the brief, this article explains it.
Berejiklian next to face grilling by ICAC
Twenty-eight days after a corruption inquiry forced her to resign as NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian will get the opportunity to address the allegations against her.
It comes a day after her former secret partner Daryl Maguire told the inquiry the pair loved each other, contemplated marriage and discussed having a child.
The former premier last year told ICAC the pair's relationship was not of "sufficient status" to disclose to anyone.
She earlier on Thursday lost a bid to have ICAC hear details of the relationship in private.
Facebook, the company, has a rebrand
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future - what Zuckerberg calls the "metaverse".
Sceptics point out that it also appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a leaked document trove that has revealed the ways Facebook ignored internal reports and warnings of the harms its social network created or magnified across the world.
Halloween is coming
Yep, this Sunday is Halloween. If you aren't sure what to get on the TV for a good scare, have a read of this - there are some great movies in there to give you a good scream.
- with Australian Associated Press