Townsville’s new $290 million North Queensland Stadium will be ready for the start of the 2020 NRL Premiership Season despite the unprecedented flooding earlier this year.

Housing and Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni says the stadium contractor, Watpac, has sought an extension to the practical completion date of the stadium, but remained confident the massive project would still be open on schedule.

Vanuatu has flagged its plans to become the first nation in the world to ban disposable nappies, but is struggling to find an alternative.

The ban is said to take effect in December, meaning Vanuatu will need to source enough reusable diapers to swaddle its estimated 20,000 babies and toddlers.

Belinda Rosselli from local NGO Mama’s Laef says she is developing a prototype reusable nappy that will work best for the heat of Vanuatu.

New satellite images of the Mozambican port city of Beira have revealed the vast scale of flooding, as rescuers race to reach tens of thousands of people trapped by flood waters from Cyclone Idai.

A large number of people in and around Beira who sought refuge on rooftops and trees are still waiting to be rescued a week after the cyclone struck

A severe tropical cyclone, titled Cyclone Veronica, brewing north of Western Australia has intensified more rapidly than expected, reaching a category four severity.

The incoming cyclone has prompted warnings of heavy rainfall, damaging winds and a destructive storm surge along coastal areas.

The slow-moving system is tracking south-west, but is expected to veer towards the coast after developing into a category five system early on Friday morning.

Cricket Australia is hoping an increase in elite coaching will boost the performance of its intellectually disabled men's side and attract new players to the sport.

It is the first time the camp has been run with the players having their expenses paid to fly across the country to stay in Brisbane.

The increased support from Cricket Australia is a significant positive change and recognition more funding is needed to compete with the elite English teams.

The Queensland Farmers Federation is calling for the state government to get on board the Inland Rail line.

The CSIRO Transit- Inland Rail Pilot Study Report found producers of horticultural and processed foods such as diary and chilled meat stand to save an of $76 per tonne by shifting agricultural freight onto the Inland Rail line.

The exclusion zone surrounding Townsville’s Suncorp Bank in the CBD has been revoked two days after concerns were raised regarding the safety of the building.

A piece of concrete on the building facade slipped several centimetres and was noticed on Tuesday, which prompted the evacuation of the entire city block.

The entire city was placed into an exclusion zone which covered about 20 buildings.

Amnesty International has criticised the environmentally-friendly electrical vehicle industry for producing batteries using fossil fuels and unethically-source minerals.

The rights group said manufacturing batteries can be carbon-intensive and mineral extraction has been linked to human rights violations such as child labour.

Amnesty is demanding that the Electrical Vehicle industry rectify the ethical and environmental issues within five years and that carbon footprints and key mineral supply-chains are to be disclosed.