Queensland police statistics have revealed that on an average of 9 times an hour someone is caught making, buying or taking drugs.

In the greater Brisbane area, there were 53 drug offences each day in 2018 with a high concentration of offences occurring in Fortitude Valley and the CBD and police have also highlighted the concerning increase of Ice usage in the Greater Brisbane area.

Detective Superintendent Tony Fleming said drug offences are secondary to the violence and harm they cause to the community.

The CSIRO today published the 2019 Australian National Outlook, containing the key message that Australia’s long-term future is at risk unless we take bold action now.

The research contrasted two models of Australia, the first being the current baseline of slow decline, and the second an outlook vision scenario representing what Australia could achieve.

Papua New Guinea is pushing back on Australia’s plans to continue a contract with Paladin to run refugee and asylum seeker accommodation on Manus Island.

The 423 million dollar contract is currently being scrutinised by the national audit office and expires in less than two weeks but home affairs minister Peter Dutton indicated on Sunday this would likely be extended.

PNG's immigration minister Petrus Thomas says his government expects to either cancel or terminate the contract by the end of June

An independent tribunal sitting in London has concluded that the killing of detainees in China for organ transplants is continuing.

The chairperson of the China tribunal, Sir Geoffrey Nice, says that many people have died hideous deaths for no reason at the hands of forced organ harvesting.

China announced in 2014 that it would stop removing organs for transplantation from executed prisoners and has dismissed claims that the harvesting is politically-motivated.

EU foreign ministers have called for an independent investigation after US claim Iran is behind the tanker attack in the Gulf of Oman.

At a meeting on Monday, EU foreign ministers showed strong support for an independent UN investigation and calls for more evidence with the UK relatively isolated in its support for the Trump administrations' line.

Education Minister Grace Grace will inspect land in Baringa where a new High School is due to be built by 2021.

The $115 million school will be built 500 metres from the Baringa State Primary School.

Announced in last week’s budget, it is one of three new schools to be built on the Sunshine Coast.

A prisoner has escaped police on his way to Bundaberg hospital for an injured hand.

The prisoner, Viva Dodd was in custody due to allegations of violent behaviour, however there are no concerns for public safety.

He is described as Indigenous, 170cm tall with a solid build, brown hair, brown eyes and several large tattoos including a dragon on his right upper arm.

The Australian Defence Force has redacted details of a document obtained by the ABC on ‘national security grounds’.

The document, which was obtained using Freedom of Information, confirmed there are two major projects on the Defence’s ‘concerns list’, including the MRH90 helicopters and the deployable Defence Air Traffic Management and Control System.

Lewd, homophobic and anti-religious slurs appear to have been exchanged by Victorian Liberal delegates at last weekend’s state council meeting.

A series of messages were published on social media app Jodel and despite being anonymous, were posted using the Liberal’s official state council hashtag and originated from Moonee Ponds, where the council meeting took place.

The scandal comes after Liberal party chiefs called on state council delegates to unite and clean up their acts.