Rescue workers in Haiti were in a desperate rush to locate survivors of an earthquake which had struck the country on Saturday. The magnitude 7.2 quake has claimed at least 1,400 lives with the number missing still unknown.

Now Tropical Depression Grace was expected to pass over the entire coast of Haiti and neighbouring Dominican Republic.

A team of scientists from Queensland Museum have discovered five new species of spiders in the Brisbane region.

All five are variations of golden trapdoor spider, and they range from inner Brisbane out to the Hinterlands.

Co-author Dr Michael Rix says identifying these species is the first step in conserving them.

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry has called for the Queensland-New South Wales border to be moved south as border restrictions once again come into effect this week.

Mr Cherry said sixteen thousand people cross the border every day.

Now workers may have trouble accessing their regular routes unless they have received their first COVID-19 vaccine.

Down Under Submarines has unveiled a multimillion-dollar yellow submarine on the Sunshine Coast.

The SUBCAT-30 is the first tourist submarine of its type in Australia. It carries 27 passengers and will descend to 30m deep, giving passengers views of underwater marine life. Currently skippers are in training to helm the Subcat-30. 

Researchers have found that the first wave of COVID-19 restrictions greatly impacted the ways Australians use drugs.

The wastewater study, led by the University of South Australia, found that cannabis use spiked, while methamphetamine use dropped significantly.

Investigators launched a probe into the source of poisoned horse meat which has killed at least 20 dogs in Victoria. 

Horse meat from an outback Northern Territory knackery used to make dog food made its way into Melbourne stores, and investigations continued while waiting on results from testing centres.

The American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into Tesla’s “self-driving” autopilot system after eleven crashes involving emergency vehicles. 

The investigation will cover over 750,000 Tesla cars made since 2014, which the NHTSA said covers the entire range. 

From September, Gold Coast businesses will have to comply with bans on single-use plastic straws, which will come into effect in 2 weeks time.