Coffee juggernaut Starbucks, has announced it will block access to pornography on its free wi-fi service in all US outlets from 2019.

The company has been under pressure from a Virginia-based non-profit organisation, Enough is Enough, to filter pornography in its stores.

While watching explicit content in store was always banned, the coffee giant will now actively block such content.

China’s Vice-Minister of Science and Technology has confirmed his ministry has ordered a halt to human gene-editing work. 

The first gene-edited humans were revealed earlier this month when a researcher produced gene-edited twin girls. 

The Vice Minister said he strongly opposed the research as it violates China’s relevant laws and regulations and breaks the ethical standard held by the academic community. 

Australia has become the first country to recognise orphanage trafficking as “a form of modern-day slavery”. 

In many cases, children have been lured in to orphanages to attract volunteers; and it is estimated that 80% of children living in orphanages have at least one living parent. 

The supply of Australians visiting overseas orphanages outstrips the demand and has created huge problems in South East Asia, Senator Linda Reynolds called orphan tourism “the perfect 21st-Century scam".

The wrong man was brought to court for sentencing in a high-profile murder case in Melbourne, after a mix-up with a man with the same name.

Peter Brown, convicted of murdering Simone Fraser, was due to appear in the Supreme Court of Victoria, but another Peter Brown was initially brought before the judge.

The correct Mr Brown was eventually produced after a delay and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Santa will be returning early to Noosa again this year as Hastings Street locals prepare to light up their Christmas tree. 

With what has become a popular event amongst families, Noosa will be filled with festive cheer and entertainment tonight. 

President of the Hastings St organisation, Shane Harvey, said “it is a good time for everyone to kick of the festive cheer in Noosa". 

The film Gurrumul, about an indigenous artist, has won Best Documentary Feature Film at the star-studded Asia Pacific Screen Awards held in Brisbane last night.

Director Paul Damien Williams and producer Shannon Swan accepted the award which marks the first Australian film to win this category in 12 years. 

Moreover, the documentary tribute to the life and music of Gurrumul was nominated for four ARIA Awards on Wednesday night. 

The Great Barrier Reef is in danger of its 3rd mass coral bleaching in four years due to the recent heatwave in North Queensland. 

Chief scientist of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park authority said that the amazing temperatures above land were contributing to water temperatures running above normal in the region. 

Cooktown hit 40 degrees yesterday for the fourth consecutive day, adding to the many records the current heatwave has produced. 
 

A new report from RMIT University reveals that Brisbane has Australia’s worst capital city public transport. 

61% of Brisbane homes have public transport within 400 meters which is well below the state target of 90 metres. 

Only 12% of homes have access to a bus or train stop with a service running at least every 30 minutes which is the worst of all Australian capital cities.