Travellers will be able to fly directly between Perth and Shanghai as part of a five-week trial launching in the coming year, sparking a new era in Western Australia's tourism industry.

From January 15th, 2020 to the end of February 17, China Eastern Airlines will operate three flights a week during the Spring Festival season.

Western Australia Governor Mark McGowan said he expects the trial to attract more Chinese tourists to the state during peak travel periods to promote tourism in Western Australia.

Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg said on Friday that she did not understand why adults and world leaders would ridicule children and adolescents for acting on science in response to attacks on her campaign as students conducted the second wave of global protests for the climate change.

When asked about US President Donald Trump and other people who laughed at her, the 16-year-old activist said that they are likely to believe that their worldview and interests are being threatened by climate activism.

Far North Queensland has been declared free of Dengue Fever for the first time in a century thanks to a mosquito breeding program.

Scientists from the World Mosquito Program (WMP) say that the virus has all but disappeared from the Cairns population since an eradication program began in 2011.

Scientists have been injecting the Wolbachia bacteria into the mosquito population through a staggered breeding program.

The Queensland Government has extended the deadline for a royalties agreement with Adani, which was due yesterday.

The government and the Adani coal mine have now mutually agreed to push back the deadline to November 30.

However, Adani says that construction is not dependent on the Royalty Deferral and Repayment Agreement, meaning construction may begin before the new deadline.

Image: Brisbane Times

The Morrison government has announced more than 300 sites, including churches, schools and community groups, have joined the national redress scheme for victims of child sex abuse.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston said she “expect[s] all relevant institutions to join the scheme as quickly as possible so that survivors can access the redress”.

“It is completely unacceptable for any institution where child sexual abuse has occurred to shirk their responsibilities,” she said.

More than 500,000 Australians will have access to cheaper treatment from today, as medicines for lung cancer, leukaemia, seizures or nerve pain and high cholesterol levels are added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

Professor Stephen Clarke from the Northern Cancer Institute said the addition of lung cancer treatments to the PBS will help close the treatment access gap.

“We are still seeing unacceptable differences in lung cancer survival rates depending on postcode,” Professor Clarke said.

Forever 21, the teenage clothing emporium in the US shopping center has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday.

The chain said it plans to overhaul its global operations and close some stores in the United States and withdraw from “most of its international locations in Asia and Europe.” The company has 800 stores worldwide and will continue to operate in Mexico and Latin America.

On Friday, the United States issued several reports, and US President Donald Trump is considering delisting Chinese companies from the American Stock Exchange.

According to reports, the move will be part of a broader effort to limit US investment in Chinese companies, in part because of security concerns.

Gregori Volokhine, the financial services strategist told the news agency AFP that the threat is aimed at increasing the pressure on Beijing to ask for bargaining.