The United Nations has urged companies and countries to closely scrutinise their supply chains over concerns about the alleged detention and forced labour of ethnic-minority Uighurs in the western Chinese province of Xinjiang.

A parliamentary committee is considering an import ban on products and components produced in Xinjiang under proposed laws put forward by independent Senator Rex Patrick.  

To fill labour shortages in rural areas and produce farms, work hire agencies are looking into new ways to fill positions.

International students are being approached for fruit picking roles although students say that there is a lack of awareness about opportunities.

Outback roadhouse owners want grey nomads to fill temporary roles that have been left vacant by backpackers during the pandemic.
 

Queensland astronomers have discovered a new planet about 490 light years away from earth and its one of the hottest planets ever recorded. 

The newly discovered planet has daytime temperatures reaching 2,700 degrees Celsius.

Researchers at the University of Southern Queensland's Centre for Astrophysics in Toowoomba led the global team that made the discovery.
 

The first permanent mental health hub has opened up in the north queensland coastal town of Ingham to provide support and community programs.

Ingham is an hour and a half drive north of townsville and the access to permanent mental health service in town is vital for some residents.

Ingham resident and PTSD sufferer, Shane Barbi, says that the hub would make a big difference to his life.
 

NSW greens and environment groups are calling on the Berejiklian government to look into environmental consultants profiting off conservation offset programs.

It comes after an investigation by the Guardian revealed that an environmental consultant holding interests in a property made more than 40 million dollars selling conservation offsets to governments.

The same consultants are reported to be a part of a consortium that has made tens of millions of dollars profiting from the scheme that was set up to protect and restore endangered habitat elsewhere.
 

Two years after being lost at sea an Antarctic sail drone has washed up on a Victorian beach.

The sail drone that was sent from San-Francisco was knocked off course by an iceberg while it was monitoring krill populations.

Waratah Bay Marine Rescue senior skipper Greg Mouldings is being instructed on how to dismantle the drone by San-Fancisco via telephone.

The World Health Organization has said India’s Covid-19 second wave was caused by a perfect storm of mass gatherings, low vaccination rates and more contagious variants.

WHO spokesperson warned against blaming new variants as the sole cause of the rise of cases, pushing the country’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse, and said that complacent behaviour had also played a role.

Brisbane could know by July if it has won the rights to host the  2032 summer olympics games.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says guarantees have been sent to the International Olympic committee.

The state government struck a 50-50 infrastructure funding deal with the federal government for Brisbane's Olympics bid on Monday afternoon.

Shark and whale feeding frenzies have been filmed by drones off the shores of K'gari, Fraser Island in what is called the shark highway.

Sunshine coast university lecturer and shark expert Dr. Bonnie Holmes says while it was quite common for spinner sharks to feed in groups, it was not often seen by humans.

Matthew Tratt was killed by a shark while spearfishing at Indian Head on the eastern side of Fraser Island, last year.

Peaceful Protestors blocked northbound traffic on Peel Street and the end of Hope Street in South Brisbane this morning . 

Protestors are calling for Council to install a zebra crossing in the vicinity of 15 Hope Street as a large number of residents with impaired mobility and vision live in that area.

Protestors are also calling for better funding and support for pedestrian crossings and accessibility improvements across the city.