There is a highly secretive and unusual court case playing out behind closed doors in Far North Queensland involving a prominent married man and his alleged affair, a non-publication order we are not allowed to see and an allegation of extortion we cannot tell you much about.
Sugarcane industry to plan for future as worries about urban sprawl grow
Sugarcane growers near Cairns say urban expansion is reducing farmland and putting the region's sugar industry at risk.
Topic:Sugar Cane Growing
Wed 10 Jun 2026 at 7:29am
Prominent Cape York figures accused of $400k fraud
Dion Creek, Naomi Hobson and Tim Jaffer are all facing multiple charges relating to the alleged misuse of money from two Aboriginal corporations.
Topic:Scams and Fraud
Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 4:59pm
Smut disease threatened to destroy sugarcane farming but ended up reshaping it
Twenty years ago, a Queensland farm became ground zero for a disease the sugarcane industry was dreading. Instead of destroying the industry, the response quietly transformed the state's biosecurity and farming practices.
Topic:Sugar Cane Growing
Tue 9 Jun 2026 at 8:32am
Suppression order extended for name of high-profile Qld man in extortion case
A magistrate has extended an order preventing the publication of details of the alleged extortion case, including the identities of the people involved.
Topic:Courts
Mon 8 Jun 2026 at 4:05pm
Secrets of Indigenous astronomy revealed in new exhibition
Newcastle Art Gallery presents the distinctive and intricate work of the Torres Strait Islander artist in its first major solo survey following a four-year refurbishment.
Topic:Visual Art
Thu 11 Jun 2026 at 10:13am
Isolated showers tipped for parts of Qld this weekend
Settled, clear and cool conditions will continue into Queensland's first weekend of winter, with showers brewing from late Sunday.
Topic:Weather Forecasts
Sat 6 Jun 2026 at 6:00am
Australian men guilty after taking 'black flight' to flee country
Three Australian men have been found guilty by a District Court in Merauke after taking a "black flight" into Indonesia's South Papua province from Far North Queensland without visas.
Topic:Courts
Wed 3 Jun 2026 at 4:46am
Parents of infant twins questioned about 'inconsistencies in evidence'
A coronial inquest is being held into the death of 18-week-old, premature-born twins, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, who died in their Far North Queensland home in late 2021.
Topic:Courts
Tue 2 Jun 2026 at 7:24pm
Regional voters consider their options as One Nation popularity surges
Pauline Hanson's right-wing populist party is leading opinion polls for the first time, and regional Queenslanders say they can see why.
Topic:One Nation
Tue 2 Jun 2026 at 5:33am
Suppression order for name of a high-profile Queensland man stands for now
The name of a high-profile Queenslander entwined in an extortion charge must temporarily remain under wraps while police prepare an application to prevent it from becoming public knowledge.
Topic:Courts
Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 6:22pm
Thousands of green sea turtle hatchlings swim to sea in conservation win
The project at Raine Island, where 90 per cent of northern green sea turtles nest, has been working for a decade to improve hatching success.
Topic:Conservation
Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 1:43pm
Kate Ceberano swaps singing for embroidery
The Australian rock icon is sharing her other passion: embroidery and quilting.
Topic:Craft
Sun 31 May 2026 at 11:00am
Claims about high-profile married man's relationship raised in extortion case
A court has heard a man charged with extortion was "potentially gagged" by his bail terms in an effort to protect a high-profile married man.
Topic:Courts
Fri 5 Jun 2026 at 3:10pm
Calls for a higher bar for developers to protect significant Cairns shade trees
After several failed court challenges, a council has angered a community with its approval to remove a significant tree to make way for a duplex development, but experts say local governments need to start paying more attention to residents' concerns.
Topic:Courts
Thu 28 May 2026 at 11:19am
'Unsafe and late': What it's like catching a bus in this regional city
Amid a spate of assaults at bus stops in Far North Queensland, advocates say there's a need for change.
Topic:Buses
Thu 28 May 2026 at 12:10pm
Teen released on probation after alleged stolen car rampage in Cairns
One of the teenagers charged over an alleged stolen car rampage in Cairns was on probation for similar offences at the time, a court has heard.
Topic:Police
Thu 28 May 2026 at 5:03pm
Two allegedly stolen cars on Mulgrave Road in Cairns
The two cars were seen driving erratically on Mulgrave Road in Cairns early on Wednesday morning.
Topic:Crime
Wed 27 May 2026 at 4:19pm
Allegedly stolen cars rampage through Cairns during peak hour
Police have arrested four teenage boys after three allegedly stolen cars caused traffic chaos across several Cairns suburbs today.
Topic:Crime
Wed 27 May 2026 at 7:11pm
With their sugar industry reaching a bitter end, these farmers are now banking on beans
The Queensland government will allocate $300,000 for new soybean and rice projects in Mossman as the region continues to search for a future beyond sugar cane.
Topic:Government Funding
Wed 27 May 2026 at 11:00am
Victim of fatal Queensland shark attack identified
While the Far North Queensland community is reeling from the death of local spearfisher Michael Jensz, experts warn human-shark interactions are increasing.
Topic:Shark Attacks
Tue 26 May 2026 at 8:37am