New research claims that Australians living with autism are being locked out of the workforce with some of them who found paid employment saying they have previously lost a job because they are on the spectrum.

A study commissioned by autism peak body Amaze surveyed the employment experiences of those living with autism and their carers, also including details about attitudes towards autistic people in the workforce.

Scientists have said the trade war between the US and China could destroy millions of hectares of the Amazon rainforest.

Tariffs imposed on US imports in China mean that soybean production could take up another 12.9 million hectares in Brazil as China seeks to source all their soybeans from Brazil.

Researchers writing in ‘nature today’ have said the newly-required land is likely to come from deforested land in the Amazon due to a changing political climate.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has told MPs from her own party that she will step down from her role as PM if her Brexit deal is delivered.

Mrs May has told Conservative MPs that she would quit before the second phase of Brexit negotiations but is yet to deliver a timeline as to when she will step down.

She told the media that she was prepared to resign earlier than intended in order to ensure a smooth and orderly Brexit.

President of Microsoft Brad Smith has warned that companies are now less likely to store customer data in Australia following the introduction of controversial encryption laws.

Speaking to an audience in Canberra, Mr Smith said the laws are too vague and are damaging to the Australian technology industry and broader economy, with businesses getting increasingly concerned about privacy and are starting to look to overseas markets.

Both the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age are reporting Sydney Airport is at breaking point, with a shortage of air traffic controllers leading to a spike in overtime hours, and restrictions on flights about once a month.

Figures obtained by the newspapers from Sydney Airport show the total overtime hours air traffic controllers are working have increased 50 percent over the past three years from 101 hours in 2016 to 140 hours last year.

The Queensland Government has pledged $3.5 million over the next two years to community support organisation Communify Queensland to support asylum seekers and refugees through its programs.

The organisation currently provides multicultural programs and asylum seeker aid services.

Queensland Multicultural Affairs Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said the organisation has a proven track record.

The Queensland Government said Queensland hospitals are not in crisis despite all hospitals across the Metro North, Metro South and Gold Coast districts except the Queensland Children’s Hospital reporting a ‘code yellow’ status.

Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young had to activate the state health emergency centre to meet ‘unprecedented demand’ on Tuesday.