A $36 million renovation of Queens Plaza is underway attracting high-end retailers such as Camilla, Dior and Aje to open stand-alone stores in 2018.

The renovation will include the remodelling of level one to include new tenants and two new restaurants.

Queens Plaza centre manager Pamela Wakefore says they are pleased with their progress and look forward to welcoming new level 1 retailers over the coming months.

The Queensland Government has given the go-ahead to commence construction for a specialised youth housing service in Townsville, with contracts awarded to a local builder and a local support provider.

Based on the internationally recognised Youth Foyer model, the Townsville Youth Foyer delivers evidence-based early intervention by providing secure housing and professional support for up to 40 vulnerable young people at any one time.

Sky News Australia has apologised for an interview it had with far-right nationalist Blair Cottrell, saying it was wrong to air the interview.

The former United Patriots Front leader was on the Adam Giles Show for a studio interview, speaking with the former Northern Territory about winding back immigration.

Last September Mr Cottrell was found guilty of inciting serious contempt for Muslims after he and other far-right nationalists uploaded a video of a mock beheading to protest against the building of a mosque in Bendigo.

Last Thursday Victorian police raided the homes of 17 former state Labor party campaign staff, who were arrested and interviewed with no charges laid.

Former Labor campaign organiser Jake Finnigan was one of the 17 but the only one to report being strip-searched and placed in a holding cell.

The raids occurred after the police’s decision late last month to launch a criminal investigation into Labor’s misuse of taxpayers’ money to pay campaign staff, dubbed the “Red Shirts” affair.

A vintage Swiss military plane, saved by a national fundraising campaign, has crashed into a mountain in the Alps, killing 20 people onboard.

Chief executive of the airline, Kurt Waldmeier says it was the worst day in the 36-year history of JU-Air. We have all suffered a very great loss.

Authorities were informed of the crash 50 minutes after the aircraft had taken off from Locarno’s Magadino airfield with five helicopters were deployed in a search and rescue mission.

Right wing Patriot Prayer held a rally in Portland, Oregon culminated in a police charge on counter-protestors with batons drawn and use of stun grenades and rounds containing pepper spray.

Counter protestors including labour and community groups, followed at a distance through neighbouring streets with the charge happened on Southwest Columbia Street after claims protestors were throwing missiles at their lines.

Plans have been lodged with Brisbane City Council for a floating pedestrian and cyclist riverwalk that would link the existing City Reach boardwalk to the City Botanic Garden’s Banya Way.

The project would be funded as part of the council’s $100 million Better Bikeways for Brisbane program.

Council will now assess the application including a permit seeking approval for tidal and building work on a Queensland heritage place.

Justice advocates are preparing to launch an independent group to highlight the lack of oversight of police misconduct in the wake of the recent reporting of Queensland Police shredding a victim’s rape statement.

The group was started by justice advocate Renee Eaves with other advocates including Narelle Dawson-Wells, an experienced clinical psychologist and the wife of former Queensland attorney general Dean wells.

The New South Wales government hyped up the Sydney light rail project before technical difficulties were fully known a report says.

Screenshots of a 2016 review by Transport for NSW experts, entitled lessons for rail, and released by Labor leader Luke Foley’s office, shows changes to the design of the $2.1bn project triggered delays and hefty costs.

The report warned the project would be blamed or delayed when it failed to meet “unrealistic expectations”.