A world-first trial of a new particle Covid-19 vaccine will soon begin in Queensland, with scientists hoping they will be able to provide better protection against the virus.

The University of Sunshine Coast clinical trials of the virus-like particle vaccine or VLP for short, will be the first in the world and if effective this type of vaccine could be used to treat future strains of the virus.

Principle investigator Rob Scott said the trial will aim to identify the optimal dose and safety of the VLP vaccine that has been produced using nanoparticle technology.

Whale researchers are calling for a ban on tours allowing people to swim with whales, saying the interactions are disturbing the marine mammals on their annual migration off Australia’s east coast.

They've been a major drawcard for the Fraser and Sunshine coasts, but a study by the not-for-profit Pacific Whale Foundation has found the tours are causing significant behavioural changes in humpback whales.

Researchers said that, “these whales are fasting and they have a certain amount of energy that they're living off, and that it’s important we don't interfere with that."

To mark the centenary of Australian and New Zealand Rotary service, a Peace Pole is being dedicated to the milestone by the Rotary Club of Mitchelton.

The Peace Pole serves to reaffirm Rotary’s commitment to peace locally and globally, with the inscription “May peace prevail on Earth” written in the four languages, English, Portuguese, Tagalog and the Turrbal language of the local Aboriginal people.

The pole joins another two hundred and fifty thousand that already stand across approximately two hundred countries to symbolise the common wish for world at peace.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that soon children aged 12-15 will become eligible in the Covid vaccine roll out.

Morrison told reporters in Canberra that the decision to vaccinate 12-15 year olds was consistent with the interim advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), who’s set to deliver its final findings today.

There are 1.2 million Australians in this age bracket and Morrison says with our current vaccination rate of 1.8 million doses administered per week, this age group would be immunised quickly.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission reports that 210 people have been killed in attacks in Ethiopia's Oromia region.

It’s been alleged members of the Oromo Liberation Army in the East Wollega area of Oromia are responsible for 150 of the killings.

With the other 60 said to have been killed in retaliation attacks, according to the statement issued by the government-appointed body, which did not state who was responsible for the acts of revenge.

Scientists have identified an eight million square kilometre region of water in the South Pacific that is warming unusually fast, disrupting normal weather patterns and contributing to South America’s long megadrought.

The region is dubbed the ‘Southern Blob’ and according to an article published in the Journal of Climate, the phenomenon has a natural origin but has intensified over the last forty years due to global warming.

Toowoomba community leaders said they were kept in the dark about the Queensland Government's construction of a regional quarantine facility at Wellcamp Airport.

Toowoomba Regional Council Mayor Paul Antonio said he knew nothing of the plan and learned of it from a press conference he was not invited to, stating that he and the council were caught off guard and would like to have been consulted.

Construction is underway, with 500 beds available by the end of the year and a total capacity of 1,000 expected by March 2022.

Renovations on the Albany Creek Leisure Centre swimming pool are now completed, making it the first venue in the Moreton Bay Region to implement the ‘Changing Places’ scheme.

‘Changing Places’ is an amenities compliance upgrade designed to accommodate those with disabilities or high support needs, making venues fully inclusive and accessible for everyone.