A proposed class action against Uber on behalf of taxi and limousine drivers will be extended to Queensland.

Law firm Maurice Blackburn has been investigating plans for a multimillion dollar class action against the ride sharing giant in Victoria.

While arguing Uber should be held to account, the Taxi Council of Queensland has not yet advised its members to join the class action, with Chief Executive Blair Davies saying members should fully consider all elements before making a decision.

US prosecutors say Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s former campaign advisor, has breached his plea bargain agreement by repeatedly lying to the FBI.

Manafort was convicted of financial fraud in August, but accepted a plea deal in return to cooperate with the investigation into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 US election.

Experts say Manafort will now face a longer prison sentence, further charges, and will no longer be seen as a credible witness in the Russia investigation.

North Queenslanders have been given a final warning to leave their properties with firefighters working through the night to keep bushfires at bay, in what has been described as never before seen fire behaviour.

More than 80 fires are burning, the worst at Deepwater, where 20 000 hectares of bush and farming property has been destroyed.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Commissioner Katarina Carroll said the state is facing a horrendous 48 hours, with no respite in sight.

President Donald Trump has defended the use of tear gas at the Mexican border to contain a crowd of migrants that included children.

While Trump acknowledged children were affected, he said it was a “very minor form of the tear gas itself” that he assured was “very safe”.

Though the showdown at the San Diego-Tijuana border has been portrayed by Trump as a threat to US national security, others insist he is exaggerating in order to achieve political goals.

Stephen Hillenburg, creator of Nickelodeon TV show Spongebob Squarepants, has died at the age of 57, after a year long battle with ALS.

Almost in its twentieth year, the cartoon has spawned a movie and broadway musical while also being subtitled in 60 languages.

In a statement, Nickelodeon said Steve’s utterly original characters and the world of Bikini Bottom will long stand as a reminder of the value of optimism, friendship and the limitless power of imagination.

New statistics from the ABS has shown more than 3000 same sex marriages took place between December of last year, to June of this year, with Queensland making up 18.9% of these.

Of the weddings, 56.3% were between two women, while the median age for women to marry was 39, compared with 48.5 for men.

Rodney Croome, a Just Equal spokesman said the relatively high median age for same sex marrying, shows these couples have been together a long time and are now able to legally have their love and commitment recognised.

Federal Greens Leader Richard Di Natale has been suspended from Senate after refusing to withdraw a comment that labeled Liberal Senator Barry O’Sullivan a “pig”.

Di Natale condemned O’Sullivan for the “sexist filth” he throws at colleagues, stating that no woman deserves to endure the sexist language that is directed at them in the Parliament of Australia.

Senator Di Natale’s suspension will be lifted later this morning.

A new master plan for Southbank has been released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Brisbane hosting the World Expo in 1988.

The plan lays out how Southbank will look over the next 30 years, and will be completed two years before the opening of Queen’s Wharf in 2022.

State Development Minister Cameron Dick has emphasised that Streets beach, the grand arbour and Clem Jones Promenade will be retained, as well as heritage listed venues and structures.