A man who had a planet named after Brisbane is set to retire, after 36 years at the popular Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium at Mt Coot-Tha.

The planet, 5277 Brisbane, was named thanks to Planetarium curator, Mark Rigby, who approached the International Astronomical Union in 2009.

Rigby has served as curator since 2002.

Fragments of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in the Kawana sewage catchment on Saturday.

Anyone with symptoms should come forward and get tested, implores Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young.

Young says new variants emerging overseas are concerning, but the detection may relate to previous COVID-19 cases that are no longer infectious.

Activists and the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses, are urging racegoers to boycott the Launceston cup event this weekend.

On average 299 horses vanish from Tasmanian racing every year, shows research conducted by CPR.

Spokesperson for Direct Action Everywhere, Gabby Knox says, racegoers can no longer claim they don’t know they are supporting cruelty when they go to the races.

Power has been restored to citizens in Texas after unprecedentedly frigid temperatures, but millions face the struggle of finding safe water.

The lack of power has seen many water pipes freeze, the number of systems that are reporting water issues has increased, according to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Toby Baker.

Baker says water issues are impacting about 14.3 million residents out of a total population of around 29 million.

This morning will see the first Coronavirus vaccines in Queensland, being administered on the Gold Coast.

The state is set to receive 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine this week, to be rolled out to frontline medics, hotel quarantine staff and border workers, with more doses expected each week, for at least four weeks. 

The AstraZeneca vaccine will follow the Pfizer vaccine rollout, according to Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.

Maestro Johannes Fritzsch has been named the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Fritzsch previously worked as QSO’s Chief Conductor and Conductor Laureate and has conducted orchestras across Australia.

The Queensland Symphony Orchestra return to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Concert Hall for Season twenty twenty-one, which will see three commissioned world premieres headlined by Fritzsch.

A Canadian traveller thought to be missing in Victoria, has been found safe, after switching his phone off for eight days on a bike trip.

Layton Keddy was reported missing after a colleague in Canada raised concerns he could not be contacted, despite Keddy telling friends and family he would be out of contact for two weeks.

Keddy checked in with family after he rode into the town of Woods Point and attracted attention from locals.

COVID-19 vaccines have been administered to almost a third of Israelis as the country begins to reopen businesses and services.

Nearly three million people have received the two recommended doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, the world’s quickest inoculation pace per capita, according to the SBS.

Israel is moving ahead with caution, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, imploring all Israelis to get vaccinated as shopping malls and stores with street access reopen.