New Hope Coal mine, situated in southern Queensland, has sacked 150 workers after its expansions weren’t approved.

The mine has been waiting for approval for New Acland Stage 3 near Toowoomba for 12 years, and mine general manager Dave O’Dwyer says that they have run out of coal. 

Mr O’Dwyer says that “you can see the fear in [the workforce’s] eyes when you look around the room,” stemming from uncertainties around the decision.

A private Catholic school in Nashville has removed Harry Potter books from its library, saying it contains "actual curses and spells, and when humans read these spells and spells, they will come up with a strange spirit.”

A local newspaper in Tennessee reported the pastor of the St. Edward's Catholic School educated kindergarten children in the eighth grade, and they emailed their parents about the JK Rowling series, telling them he had been in contact with "several" exorcists who recommended removing the books from the library.

More than $26,500 has been back-paid to 166 staff members at Muffin Break and Jamaica Blue cafes across the country.

The cafe’s franchisor, Foodco, had to back-pay employees under an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

An independent audit found 152 employees were underpaid, while an additional 12 requests from employees at the cafes led to another 14 employees being back-paid.

The South Australian opposition has called a tourism ad “bizarre”, while others have called it “ageist” and “depressing”.

The advertisement, by the South Australian Tourism Commission, is titled ‘Don’t feel sorry for old mate’ and features an older man crying as he walks through well-known South Australian locations.

Viewers have taken to social media to share their (mostly negative) thoughts on the advertisement and the fact that a Victorian Company was commissioned to make it.

A woman has found 43 dead birds washed up on the Caloundra Beach, believed to have been killed in Bribie Island bushfires.

Leisl Born found a variety of species of burned birds among debris on the beach as she walked her dog last week. 

A scheduled burn of bushland on Bribie Island jumped containment lines and had to be contained by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, causing the evacuation of campers.

A Chinese app that allows users to convincingly exchange their faces with movies or TV characters quickly became one of the most downloaded apps in the country, triggering a privacy line.

The Zao app went viral as Chinese users seized the opportunity to see themselves act out scenes from well-known movies using deepfake technology. This has already prompted concerns elsewhere over potential misuse.

Thousands of democratic protesters blocked roads and public transport to the Hong Kong airport on Sunday.

Thousands of flights were cancelled on Sunday, and thousands of democratic activists blocked flights to Hong Kong airports. Protesters and police fought fiercely in some of the most serious violent incidents since the start of the riots three months ago.

The airport website said that at least 16 flights were cancelled and the departure hall was crowded with backlogs of passengers who had been trying to enter the terminal.

China's 'Belt and Road' risks Paris climate goals.

The massive network of ports, railways, highways and industrial parks across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe will invest trillions of dollars in new infrastructure in 126 countries.

The project will see investments from other countries and the private sector, and opponents warn of its devastating environmental impact.

A Gold Coast retirement home suddenly closed in July, causing the evacuation of 68 elderly residents.

The Earle Haven aged care home closure has been added to the range of a Queensland enquiry into palliative and aged care issues.

The closure is being described as a “canary in the mine” situation by the Council on the Ageing Queensland.

The Spokesperson for COTA says that it highlights the areas for attention in business arrangements and state responsibilities regarding the aged care sector.