Hundreds of Sudanese-Australians have taken to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne streets to protest military crackdowns in Sudan.

A three-week long communications blackout in Sudan sparked the peaceful rallies which had protesters banging drums while dressed in blue.

Protester Yousif Ali says he has been losing sleep and desperately waiting to hear from his family in Sudan since the blackout.

The Brisbane City Council has approved a temporary development ban blocking major developments on the historic Lamb House in Kangaroo Point.

In a special meeting on Thursday night, State Development Minister Cameron Dick told the council the ban was approved and they could now support it.

City planning chair Matthew Bourke says the council is pleased to protect the property as they believe any development would be detrimental to the landmark.

The Queensland flu epidemic has claimed 38 lives despite 1 million Queenslander having already received vaccinations this year.

Chief Health Officer Jeanette Young advises those infected to stay at home in order to avoid spreading the virus.

Confirmed cases of influenza have peaked at four times the five year average with over 1000 people being hospitalised.

The Brisbane City Council has locked in $1 billion to fund over one thousand new Brisbane buses.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey says the new contract will have a greater focus on real-time performance management and will allow the state to work with the council on network planning.

Council transport chairwoman Krista Adams says the council welcomes the state government’s support and looks forward to delivering the bus fleet.

Turkey’s ruling party concedes in the Istanbul election with the opposition winning 54 percent of the vote with most of the ballots counted.

The opposition had won the Istanbul election three months ago but the results were overturned by authorities amid claims of irregularities.

The opposition leader says the victory marks a new beginning for the country.

Police say 70 climate-change protesters were arrested on Saturday after they blocked traffic outside the New York Times headquarters.

Protesters from the group Extinction Rebellion formed a human chain, hung banners on a Manhattan skyscraper and outside a bus terminal across the street.

The protesters were rallying for the New York Times to boost its environmental coverage and for media outlets to use the term “climate emergency” instead of climate change.

Thousands of Australian children are taking a stand against bullying in this year’s national anti-bullying poster design competition.

Eleven-year-old Isabella Sinanovski from Lennox Head in New South Wales claimed first prize with her colourful poster and slogan “follow your heart, not the herd”.

Isabella warns her peers against making friends with groups which hurt others and says being different is what makes a person unique.

Eight researchers from Flinders University have joined with South Australia’s River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation to uncover Indigenous Australian history along the Murray River.

Initial results suggest Aboriginal occupation of the area goes back about 25,000 years further than previously thought.

Professor Amy Roberts says her team has surveyed sites, undergone radiocarbon dating and interviewed the local Aboriginal community during the project.

Construction begins on Brisbane’s $3.6 billion casino and resort complex as the first crane arrives on site in Queen’s Wharf.

With three resort towers and a Sky Deck planned to be completed by 2022, Tourism Minister Kate Jones says the scope of the project is impressive.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says the project will have up to 2000 workers on site during the peak construction period.