Australia’s Largest Pastoral Company says it has lost thousands of cattle in unprecedented flooding, including almost 30,000 head on one its Gulf of Carpentaria stations alone.

In a statement to the Australia Stock Exchange, the Australian Agricultural Company said its 2,500 square kilometre Woondoola station had experienced its highest flooding levels ever; forcing the evacuation of station staff from the property as water rose to the eaves of buildings.

A Queensland private school has banned mobile phones in a bid to force students to socialize face to face. Matthew Flinders Anglican College principal Stuart Meade said, “We don’t want to see phones in school grounds at all.”

The use of other digital devices, such as laptops and iPads are not permitted during break times, unless under supervision in the library.

The New South Wales Land and Environment Court turned down an appeal by mining company Gloucester Resources for an open-cut coal mine because of its potential contribution to greenhouse-gas emmisions and global warming.

The coal mine was planned to be built near the town of Gloucester in the Hunter Valley. It is the first time a new coal mine has been rejected in Australia, the world’s leading coal exporter, because of the potential contribution to global warming.

The royal commission investigating Australia’s aged care system has suggested the need for an national database of carers in order to prevent ongoing elder abuse.

From evidence on Monday, the inquiry has suggested this database needs to be formed to ensure employees who have abused do not have the opportunity to move between facilities or states to repeat the same behaviour.

Mars One, a Dutch company that planned to send humans on a one-way trip to Mars and start the first human colony on the Red Planet, has declared bankruptcy.

The declaration was made in a Swiss court on January 15th and posted online this past weekend, officially dissolving Mars One Ventures AG.

Bootleg liquor is being blamed for killing more than 100 people in northern India after alcohol poisoning sickened people in two states. Making it the worst outbreak of deadly booze to hit India in years.

Lauren Frayer a journalist for NPR reports, “Autopsies show traces of methanol, a chemical that attack the nervous system. Illegally made liquor is widespread in India, where many can’t afford brand-name alcoholic drinks.”

Queensland’s public hospitals are dealing with multimillion-dollar blowouts to install an integrated electronic medical record that clinicians say is flawed and putting patients at risk.

Many Hospital and Health Services are floundering under the booming cost of the health department’s integrated electronic medical record (ieMR) project, while patients at some public hospitals have been affected by increased elective surgery wait times.

Queensland rape victims will be offered forensic examinations regardless of whether they plan to make a complaint to police.

It comes after it was revealed vital DNA evidence could be lost as a result of a Queensland Health policy not to collect forensic evidence from rape victims unless they agree to report the assault to police.

Football player and refugee Hakeem al-Araibi has been freed from jail in Thailand after Bahrain withdrew its extradition request.

al-Araibi was detained in Bangkok in November on an Interpol notice requested by Bahrain while he travelled to the Thailand capital on honeymoon.

Thailand's Office of the Attorney General (OAG) asked the court to end proceedings against al-Araibi because Bahrain had said it was no longer interested in the request, officials told BBC Thai on Monday.