A Queensland government-sponsored research project is looking for ways to keep Queensland fruit and vegetable exports fresh at sea amid a pandemic-induced decline in exports.

While products such as the iceberg lettuce used to be available to overseas consumers just hours after its departure from Queensland, the produce now has to spend days or even weeks at sea.

As Queensland’s agriculture industry aims to earn $400 million in exports by 2025, this project may be key to protecting Queensland farmers from the lingering effects of COVID-19 restrictions.

Beekeeping in Queensland is becoming a popular hobby, with uptake doubling in the past five years. 

The increase comes as people say they started beekeeping during quarantine last year when they couldn't leave the house. Commercial beekeepers are urging hobby beekeepers to educate themselves on pests and diseases.

Queensland Beekeepers Association secretary Jo Martin says the commercial side of beekeeping is not growing at the same pace as the hobby side, which is concerning.

Facebook has struck content deals with Australia’s two largest Media companies - Nine Entertainment and Newscorp. 

Sources familiar with the deal said Newscorp would be paid for use of articles in Facebook’s soon-to-launch news and video services. 

The two agreements are in addition to deals with media companies including Seven West Media and Solstice Media. 

Other outlets including the ABC and The Guardian Australia are still negotiating the terms of their agreements.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard has unveiled a new underground missile storage facility that it says will boost the country’s naval strike capabilities.

Revolutionary Guard Commander General Hossein Salami says the facility will store ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of up to 2000km.

Iran’s navy, to which it has made significant improvements in recent years, is perceived as both a regional and global threat due to its influence in the Strait of Hormuz, the main shipping route for the world’s oil.

Three primary school teachers are being held by bandits in Nigeria’s Kaduna state in yet another attack on schools.

The abductions are the fifth mass school abduction since December, with criminals preying on schoolchildren and teachers as easy targets to be held for ransom.

At least $18 million has been paid in ransom in attacks such as these over the last decade in Nigeria, incentivising the country’s criminals to take advantage of the trend.

Queensland has recorded 6 new Coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine overnight. Authorities have confirmed the virus is again spreading in the Hotel Grand Chancellor. 106 guests who left the Grand Chancellor Hotel since March 6 have been told to self-isolate. Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk says the state will know by lunchtime today whether or not the virus has entered the community. 

RACQ is calling for a discount on the Go Between Bridge as traffic across the William Jolly Bridge increased by an average of 5 thousand cars per day over the past few months. The increase is a result of the Victoria Bridge being made a traffic-free zone in January this year as part of a Brisbane City Council green initiative. Council data shows that motorists avoid the Go Between Bridge because of its toll, which has led to the congestion on the William Jolly Bridge.

A 62 hectare block of land in Birkdale is set to be turned into a major community precinct as Redland City Council asks residents for input on the site. The land on Old Cleveland Road holds heritage listed buildings dating back to World War 2 and was previously owned by the Federal Government. Karen Williams, Redland Mayor says she has been lobbying to buy the land for a decade. 

In the last year women with disability were more than twice as likely to report sexual violence compared to women without disability. Little to no data has been collected on Issues of neglect and exploitation until now. These statistics come from the ‘Nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation against people with disability in Australia’ report published today. 64% of people with disability report experiencing various types of violence over their lifetime compared to 45% of people without disability.