A Queensland snake catcher has shared a warning for pet owners after retrieving a carpet python that snuck into a cage and ate a grandmother's two birds.

The hungry python had entered the cage through gaps in its narrow bars, despite being twice their size.

After consuming the birds, the snake could no longer squeeze out to escape.

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Sunshine Coast snake catcher Stu McKenzie said while many pet owners don't consider snakes a threat to their animals, his team attends similar jobs on a daily basis.

"The daughter gave me a call saying she had just got a call from her mum saying a snake has gone into the cage and eaten two beloved birds," Mr McKenzie said.

"She was a bit stressed as well, nobody wants to see that situation. Birds are like family to some people.

"We rushed over there as soon as we could but it was too late."

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Brisbane resident Ren Park said she had been through a similar ordeal after a python snuck into her birdcage and ate the family budgie.

"I had two budgies in the cage and woke up to one snake and one budgie in the cage," Ms Park said.

"My son was devastated as they were his birds. One survived thankfully."

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Mr Mckenzie said bird cages and guinea pig enclosures weren't built with snakes in mind and extra precautions should be considered to ensure the safety of pets.

"It's basically just a walk-in buffet. If they don't have them snake-proof, snakes can easily get in and they'll keep coming back."

He said chickens in outdoor coops were the most common victims as well as birds in outdoor aviaries.

"We do remind everyone to go check their enclosures," Mr McKenzie said.

He added those who keep their birds in outdoor cages should consider bringing them in at night, as this is when pythons are most active.

Putting wire mesh over bird and guinea pig cages can also prevent snakes from entering.

"A snake once went into an aviary and ate 14 finches. It couldn't move afterwards it was that fat," Mr McKenzie said.

"It's quite amazing they can squeeze through gaps half their size."

A youth camp hosted by Hillsong on the NSW Mid North Coast has been likened to a music festival and is now being called out as a "double standard" amid strict Omicron rules for hospitality venues.

A Hillsong spokesperson confirmed an "annual high school aged youth camp" is underway at Glenrock State Conservation Park in Newcastle.

Witnesses said the church's camp resembles a music festival, with tents set up with live music and DJs playing along with "a lot of people".

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On Thursday night, NSW Health said it had "requested Hillsong immediately stop singing and dancing at an event being held in the Newcastle area", saying it was a breach of the Public Health Order.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the Hillsong event was "clearly in breach of both the spirit and intent of the Order, which is in place to help keep the community safe".

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said singing and dancing at large events posed a high risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Danyon Clinton, a resident of the area, claimed to have seen a large number of people under a tent, saying it looked like a music festival.

"It looks like any sort of event you'd have in a public place or a music festival sort of thing," he said.

Hillsong has denied any claims that the camp was a music festival.

"These events are our annual high school aged youth camps, and are not similar to a music festival in any way," a Hillsong spokesperson said in a statement.

"Our camps involve primarily outdoor recreational activities including sports and games.

"We follow strict COVID procedures and adhere to government guidelines.

"Outdoor Christian services are held during the camp but these are only a small part of the program, and any singing is only a small part of each service.

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"Residents in the area called the event a "double standard" after the Grapevine Gathering music festival was recently cancelled due to public health orders.

"It's a bit of a double standard that this can happen and music festivals can't go ahead," Mr Clinton said.

Local Ben Burdekin also said it feels like a "double standard" and the community is angered by the event.

"There's live music coming from beneath the tent, and lots of people underneath it. It just looks like one big festival," he said.

"It feels like there is some protection around organisations that get to hold these things while so many other events have been cancelled."

Hospitality venues have taken a stand against the event, with Chippendale pub the Lord Gladstone rebranding as The Gladsong Hotel and hosting a one-day "Sunday service" event on January 23.

Brisbane rock group DZ Deathrays also hit out at the event, saying it's a "slap in the face to the arts industry".

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Earlier, NSW Health had addressed the event in a statement, saying "people attending religious services generally remain in fixed positions and masks are mandatory for these indoor gatherings.

"COVID-19 Safe Check-in is also required at hospitality venues, nightclubs, places of worship, funerals, memorial services, or gatherings afterwards.

"NSW Health encourages people to avoid large gatherings and minimise high-risk activities where possible, including singing."

It later released the statement saying Hillsong had been asked to immediately stop singing and dancing at the event.

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Under NSW public health orders, singing and dancing at music festivals, hospitality venues, nightclubs, entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities is prohibited to curb the spread of Omicron.

"These settings are deemed as high risk due to increased movement and mingling within and across these venues, the influence of alcohol consumption, and the removal of masks in these settings to consume food and drink," NSW Health said.

An early Roman rare wooden carved figure is one of a large number of artefacts that been uncovered during the construction of a new high-speed railway in Britain.

More than 100 archeologists have been working to excavate the treasures found as the HS2 is being built.

The company behind the build have just revealed that a well preserved early Roman rare wooden carved figure was found in a water-logged Roman ditch in a field in Twyford, Buckinghamshire in July 2021.

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The figure, which is cut from a single piece of wood, stands at 67cm tall and is 18cm wide.

Initial assessment dates indicate the wooden figure to the early Roman period, given the style of the carving and the tunic-like clothing.

Shards of pottery dating from 43-70 AD were also discovered in the same ditch.

Archaeologist Iain Williamson said the artefact was a rare find.

"The amazing discovery of this wooden figure was totally unexpected," he said.

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"Not only is the survival of a wooden figure like this extremely rare for the Roman period in Britain, but it also raises new questions about this site, who does the wooden figure represent, what was it used for and why was it significant to the people living in this part of Buckinghamshire during the 1st century AD?"

Further north, 80 archaeologists working for the rail project have spent a year excavating an Iron Age village which developed into a wealthy Roman trading town near a small village in South Northamptonshire.

The site has been known about since the 18th century, but archaeologists say the scale and quality of the discoveries on site have surpassed their expectations.

The original use of the site, known as Blackgrounds, began in the Iron Age when it was a village formed of over 30 roundhouses, which have been uncovered alongside an Iron Age road.

The archaeological team believe it is likely that local inhabitants continued to live at the site into the Roman period and adapted to a new way of life due to the close proximity of the Iron Age remains.

This 'Romanisation' included taking on Roman customs, products and building techniques.

Archaeologists believe the 10m wide Roman road found indicates that the settlement would have been very busy with carts transporting goods.

The wealth of the settlement is likely to have been based on trade, both from the nearby River Cherwell and via the Roman road.

Over 300 Roman coins, discovered in ways that indicate there were likely lost or discarded, have been recovered by HS2 workers.

They are believed to indicate that a significant volume of commerce was passing through the area.

Proof of double-dosed vaccination for people aged 16 and over will be required at a range of venues across Western Australia as part of its "Safe Transition Plan".

This extends to all hospitality venues including cafes, bars, pubs, and clubs, and will come into effect on January 31.

Takeaway from venues such as restaurants, cafes, and service stations will be exempt.

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People visiting indoor entertainment venues, such as play centres, theatres, cinemas and gyms, will also need to show proof of vaccination.

The rules will also apply to attendees at music festivals and large events with more than 500 people.

The new requirements mean unvaccinated people will not be able to enter venues, dine in, or attend large events.

"It will become very difficult for the unvaccinated," Premier Mark McGowan said.

"You're choosing your risk and you would choose to increase the burden on our health [system]."

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https://twitter.com/MarkMcGowanMP/status/1481526663087542273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Mr McGowan said he has learnt from the "disaster" in New South Wales when proof of vaccination requirements were removed in December.

"These are the broadest proof of vaccine in the nation and they will not be removed anytime soon," Mr McGowan said.

More than 30 years after Scott Johnson was found dead at the bottom of a cliff on Sydney Northern Beaches, a man has admitted to his murder.

During a pre-trial hearing on Monday, accused killer Scott White rose to his feet and yelled: "Guilty. I am guilty. Guilty."

He had previously denied killing 27-year-old Mr Johnson, whose body was discovered by spearfishermen at the base of a cliff at Blue Fish Point, near Manly's North Head, on December 10, 1988.

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Mr Johnson's death was initially ruled a suicide despite North Head being well-known as a gay beat targeted by gangs in the 1980s.

But a second inquest in 2012 returned an open finding after the possibility was raised that the Sydney-based American national had been murdered as part of a "gay hate" killing spree in Sydney during the late 1980s.

A third inquest in 2017 found Mr Johnson fell from the cliff top as a result of actual or threatened violence by unidentified persons who attacked him because they perceived him to be homosexual.

What followed was the state's biggest-ever reward and a fresh set of eyes from detectives Peter Yeomans and John Breda.

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Mr Johnson's brother Steve has spent more than three decades fighting for answers.

In 2020 he doubled the $1 million reward issued by NSW Police and has made countless trips back to Australia in the 33 years since his little brother died.

That same year, there was a breakthrough in the case and divorced father White was arrested at his home in Lane Cove.

"I'd like to think any brother would do this for their brother, I know Scott would have done this for me," Steve Johnson said outside court today.

"We were remarkably close, even for brothers.

"I think he (White) deserves what he has coming to him, it's a very sad, tragic thing that he did."

The confession was made on Monday but kept secret until now because White's legal team argued he wasn't fit to make that admission.

The judge rejected that and tonight he is a convicted killer.

White's legal team has already flagged an appeal.

Qantas and Jetstar are cancelling flights scheduled for the second half of 2022 due to Australia's surge in COVID-19 cases.

The Qantas Group has advised it will be cutting back its flights planned for July, August and September as the expected number of passengers wanting to fly has dropped off.

The company had been planning for demand for flights to be at 102 per cent of the levels before the pandemic.

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However, following the recent surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, the demand for the third quarter of the year is expected to only be at 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

"The sudden uptick in COVID cases is having an obvious impact on consumer behaviour across various sectors, including travel, but we know it's temporary," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

The expected demand for international travel in the same period has fallen from 30 per cent to around 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels due to increased travel restrictions in countries like Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.

Qantas customers will be contacted directly from late January if their booking is impacted by cancellations and offered alternative flights that will be likely to be a difference of a few hours for domestic travel.

The company has said it will continue to utilise all of its crew despite the cancellation of flights.

Mr Joyce said the company was optimistic that the demand for flights would not take long to return to normal.

"This is a difficult time right across the community, but something we'll get through," he said.

Due to COVID-19 uncertainty, Qantas has extended its Fly Flex program, which enables customers to change their travel dates.

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A decision on whether Novak Djokovic will be allowed to stay in the country for the Australian Open is still yet to be made.

While a decision from Immigration Minister Alex Hawke was expected to be announced today, Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed at a press conference this afternoon Mr Hawke is still considering the matter.

"I will refer to Mr Hawke's most recent statement and that position hasn't changed," Mr Morrison said.

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"These are personal ministerial powers able to be exercised by Minister Hawke and I don't propose to make any further comment at this time."

When pressed further on whether it was safe to allow an unvaccinated non-citizen into Australia, Mr Morrison stood by the nation's border rules.

"Where fully vaccinated eligible visa holders could travel to Australia without needing to apply for a travel exemption and enter those states, allowing them to enter quarantine-free, the individual has to show they are double vaccinated or must provide acceptable proof that they can't be vaccinated for medical reasons," Mr Morrison said.

"That's the policy, which hasn't changed.

"That is the policy and we would expect authorities to be implementing the policy of the government when it comes to those matters."

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The original cancellation of Djokovic's visa had been overturned in court on Monday, however Mr Hawke can still use his ministerial discretion to cancel the Serb's visa.

A statement from Mr Hawke's office yesterday said the matter was still under consideration after Djokovic's legal team made a number of further submissions.

Mr Morrison's comments came after the Australian Open draw was delayed by more than an hour.

When the draw did take place, Djokovic was drawn against fellow Serb Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese hit out at the Federal Government earlier today over the visa controversy, claiming he should not have been permitted to travel to Australia in the first place.

"Australia has a policy of not allowing unvaccinated people into Australia," Mr Albanese told Today.

"It is beyond my comprehension how we have got to this point.

"It should have been resolved at the point in which a visa was applied for."

Speaking to Today, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce insisted the same rules must apply to Djokovic.

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Mr Joyce said he would not attempt to pre-empt Mr Hawke's decision – but he made his own views clear.

"Obviously most of us thought because Mr Djokovic hadn't been vaxxed twice, he'd be asked to leave," he told Today.

"The vast majority of Australians didn't like the idea that another individual, whether they're a tennis player or the King of Spain or the Queen of England, can come up here and have a different set of rules to what everybody else has to deal with.

"Whether they agree with the rules or not, they believe they should abide by the rules, and that was the issue with Novak Djokovic."

Officials are separately investigating errors on his immigration form, which Djokovic described as "human error".

The tennis star yesterday also apologised for taking part in a media interview on December 18 after knowingly testing positive to COVID-19 the day prior, in a breach of Serbian isolation requirements.

He said he did not know of his positive diagnosis when he attended a tennis event earlier on December 17, and that attending the photoshoot was an "error of judgement".

"I felt obliged to go ahead and conduct the L'Equipe interview as I didn't want to let the journalist down, but did ensure I socially distanced and wore a mask except when my photograph was being taken," Djokovic said in a statement.

"While I went home after the interview to isolate for the required period, on reflection, this was an error of judgment and I accept that I should have rescheduled this commitment."

Spanish media has reported Djokovic is under investigation for a potential breach in entering that country while unvaccinated last month, meaning the tennis star is under scrutiny from authorities in three countries – Spain, Serbia and Australia.

A range of workers are now exempt from close contact isolation rules in Australia, National Cabinet has announced.

The Prime Minister said some workers will be able to get a negative rapid antigen test result and return to work to prevent the current supply chain issues plaguing the nation.

Here is what we know about the new rules.

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Who is exempt?

Scott Morrison said the new rules will ensure essential services can "continue to be staffed".

This will be in place for the following workers:

• Transport, freight and logistics
• Healthcare workers
• Emergency services including law enforcement, correctional services, energy resources and water, waste management
• Food, beverage and other critical good supplies
• Food distribution system and production system – this does not include hospitality
• Telecommunication, data, broadcasting and media
• Education and childcare

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What does it mean?

If you were one of the above-mentioned workers, you will only need to return a negative rapid antigen test result before returning to work.

Mr Morrison said this is to ease the pressure on workforce and supply chain shortage.

Why have the rules changed?

The changes come as many essential services and businesses have experienced staff shortages due to the close contact rules.

The staff shortages meant there were supply chain disruptions causing supermarkets to reintroduce purchase limits.

For anyone who is not one of these workers, the close contact rules remain the same meaning you need to isolate for seven days.

What about schools?

Mr Morrison also said it is "absolutely essential" for schools to return for term one this year.

"It is absolutely essential for schools to go back, safely, and to remain safely open if we are not to see any further exacerbation of the workforce challenges we are currently facing," he said.

With today's announcement, teachers will only need to get a negative rapid antigen test result before returning to the classroom.

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