University of Adelaide has assigned the Former University of Queensland Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Hoj as its new Vice-Chancellor and President for a five-year term. 

Professor Hoj says he prioritises the connections between other universities to serve local and global communities. He commences his work next Monday.

The Palaszczuk government today announced a 1 million dollar deal with Australian medical supplies company Metagenics to build a tablet making an coating facility within its Northgate factory. 

Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles says this project will create new jobs for Queenslanders and enable the state to produce tablet-based medicines locally, rather than relying on international supply chains. 

Metagenics is a company which originated in Queensland and specialises in supplying natural medicines in Australia and New Zealand.

A bill banning gay conversion therapy is set to pass through the Victorian upper house with the support of three crossbenchers.

The bill will impose criminal sanctions of up to 10 years’ jail for those that subject others to conversion practices that cause injury or serious injury.

People who try to circumvent the new law and send people out of state for gay conversion therapy could face criminal charges and fines to a maximum of almost $10,000.

Brisbane environmental groups are worried about a draft plan of the Brisbane Off-Road Cycling Strategy released by the Brisbane City Council.

The strategy proposes to open up 90 Brisbane bushland reserves for mountain biking and reduce the mountain biking traffic that is currently concentrated in MT Cootha.

Wayne Cameron from Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee is petitioning the Brisbane City Council to withdraw their draft plan and keep the bushland reserves for the flora and fauna that inhabit the areas.

The CEO of Amazon is stepping down after twenty-eight years at the head of the online retail company.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will step down from his role as the company’s top boss and transition to the role of executive chairman in the third quarter of 2021.

While Amazon is reaping huge profits from consumers, it is facing increased scrutiny over the power it has over the retailers that use Amazon as an online storefront.

Current Amazon Web Services chief executive Andy Jassy will be replacing Bezo as the new CEO

Greens councillor Jonathan Sri has been accused of offering to access council data on landlords.

The Brisbane City Council's councillor ethics committee met yesterday to discuss a complaint made to the Office of the Independent Assessor and found "on balance" that he had acted inappropriately.

Councillor Sri could not speak to the committee but was joined by supporters at the public meeting at City Hall.

Japan is extending a state of emergency to assist in decreasing the number of cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Japan’s Prime Minister Suga announced yesterday, extending the state of emergency until 7 March while Tokyo, the capital of the country, recorded 556 new coronavirus cases a day. 

Suga says the state of emergency decreased the number of new COVID-19 patients nationwide, but the severe cases in hospitals are still high.

Adani Australia has been ordered to pay a $2000 fine and make a public apology after losing a defamation case against an anti-fossil fuels activist, Scott Daines.

Adani was found to have falsely accused Scott Daines and other members of the Frontline Action on Coal of throwing rocks and damaging Adani workers’ cars after a protest in October last year. 

A Boeing 737 equipped with a water tanker is being sent to fire ravaged parts of Perth in WA. 

71 homes and 9,000 hectares of land have been destroyed since the fire started on Monday night. The bushfire is expected to worsen today because of changing wind conditions, with winds potentially reaching 70 kilometers per hour.

Brisbane City Council has announced the reconstruction of Vic Lucas Canoe Ramp which is crucial to recreational canoeing and sailing.

Yesterday the council finished its geotechnical investigations and will commence the works on 23 February. The council says the project finishes by Monday 22 March as planned.