Three people have been taken to hospital following a suspicious house fire in Porirua. A Wellington Free Ambulance spokeswoman said three patients were taken to hospital, all in a moderate condition. One person went to Wellington…

Queensland's state government has announced it will build 1200 new social and affordable homes, as more families are forced to split up or sleep in their cars due to a lack of secure housing.

The project will be made possible through a state-first partnership with community housing provider Brisbane Housing Company and the Queensland Investment Corporation.

The announcement comes as the state government faces escalating pressure to address Queensland's growing housing and rental crisis amid historic availability lows and ahead of tomorrow's state budget.

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"Every Queenslander deserves a safe home to live in and a secure roof over their head," Treasurer Cameron Dick said.

"When applications opened for the $1 billion Housing Investment Fund, we told the market we were seeking proposals which identified new solutions to deliver housing for vulnerable Queenslanders.

"This commercial partnership is a model that has not been seen before in Queensland."

Minister for housing Leanne Enoch said the project was part of a record $2.9 billion investment to support social and affordable housing projects over the next four years, creating 7400 new homes.

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"This investment means we can house more vulnerable Queenslanders sooner," she said.

Shirley Gration-Collins from Kyabra Community Association in Brisbane said she's seen more and more families forced to separate due to the record unavailability of homes.

"Mum and dad might be sleeping in their car while their children stay with family or friends just to make sure that the children have a roof over their head," she said.

"We will have about 60 people on our books and when a house comes up, we have to choose between a family sleeping on a veranda, where it is cold, or a family in a tent or a family in a car.

"We have to decide who needs that house more."

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Stage one of the government's housing project will see 600 new social and affordable housing options delivered via seven projects, to begin construction between 2023 and 2025.

But the Queensland Council of Social Service says while additional housing is welcome, greater infrastructure to support the growing number of families facing homelessness is needed now.

Data from the QCSS indicates 50,301 people are currently on Queensland's social housing register.

"We don't just need a record funding announcement, we need sustained funding and more houses built at a much faster pace," QCOSS CEO Aimee McVeigh said.

"There are Queensland women and children right now living in cars, tents and motels because there is nowhere else to go. There are elderly people couch surfing.

"There are children growing up in domestic violence shelters because there is nowhere else to go.

"These Queenslanders cannot keep waiting for the wheels of Government to turn to find a safe home to live in."

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Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce otherwise known as Jono and Ben are one of the most recognisable duos in New Zealand entertainment.After starting out as breakout stars on The Rock (Jono) and Pulp Sport (Ben), they joined as Jono and Ben…

A Russian-owned superyacht seized by the United States is now in Honolulu Harbour flying an American flag.

The US earlier this month won a legal battle in Fiji to take the $450 million vessel and immediately sailed it to Hawaii.

The FBI has linked the Amadea to the Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov.

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The US said Kerimov secretly bought the Cayman Island-flagged vessel last year through various shell companies.

The ship became a target of Task Force KleptoCapture, launched in March to seize the assets of Russian oligarchs to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

The FBI said a search warrant in Fiji turned up emails showing that Kerimov's children were aboard the ship this year and that the crew used code names: G0 for Kerimov, G1 for his wife, G2 for his daughter and so on.

Court documents say the Amadea switched off its transponder soon after Russia invaded Ukraine and sailed from the Caribbean through the Panama Canal to Mexico, arriving with over US$100,000 in cash.

It then sailed thousands of kilometres across the Pacific Ocean to Fiji.

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The US Justice Department said it didn't believe paperwork showing the Amadea was next headed to the Philippines, arguing it was really destined for Vladivostok or elsewhere in Russia.

The 106-metre-long vessel, about the length of a football field, features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad.

Last Thursday it was sailed by US law enforcement officials to Honolulu Harbour.

Kerimov made a fortune investing in Russian gold producer Polyus, with Forbes magazine putting his net worth at US$20 billion.

The US first sanctioned him in 2018 after he was detained in France and accused of money laundering there, sometimes arriving with suitcases stuffed with 20 million euros.

Saudi Arabian government officials have cracked down on rainbow-coloured toys and clothing from shops in the country's capital, Riyadh, saying the items promote homosexuality, according to Saudi state-run TV channel al-Ekhbariya.

"We are having to look out for slogans that violate the rules of Islam and public morals like promoting homosexuality colours, targeting the young generation," said an unnamed Ministry of Commerce official involved in the campaign.

Homosexuality is illegal in Saudi Arabia, which adheres to a strict interpretation of Sharia law.

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The items seized by authorities appeared to be bright in colour, ranging from children's hair accessories, pencil cases, and backpacks to rainbow stripes featured in crayon packets, all designed for children, al-Ekhbariya reported.

The Saudi officials were seen to be in a children's shop with a number of toys taken from the shelves and piled in a heap on the floor, where the reporter for al-Ekhbariya pointed towards a rainbow flag saying the "homosexuality flag is present in one of the Riyadh markets," adding the colours send a "poisonous message" to children.

The report did not mention the number of shops that were targeted nor how many items were seized.

Saudi authorities are yet to respond with comment on the report.

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In December last year, authorities in neighboring Qatari carried out a similar raid where they announced they inspected retail outlets across various regions in the country, seizing children's toys that were "bearing slogans that go against Islamic values," a tweet from the Qatari Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) said.

"The Ministry of Commerce carried out inspection campaigns on a number of shops in different regions of the country, and the campaigns resulted in the seizure and release of a number of violations, represented by children playing with slogans that violate Islamic values, customs, and traditions," MOCI said.

Saudi Arabia and a handful of other Middle Eastern countries did not show the Marvel movie "Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness" because Disney refused requests to cut same-sex references in May, Reuters reported.

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A teenager has been caught allegedly ferrying drugs around a Melbourne suburb while riding a homemade motorised vehicle complete with an Esky, traffic sign and two shovels.

Police said the 17-year-old boy was seen riding the Esky around his home suburb of Carrum Downs, in Melbourne's south-east, in the area near Lyrebird Drive on Saturday.

After several calls to police from concerned neighbours, the police helicopter unit helped police track down the unroadworthy vehicle on the ground.

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Inside the Esky, police allege they found what they have called a "mobile marijuana unit", including drugs, electric scales and a bong.

The teenager is being dealt with police.

People have taken to Facebook to share that they saw the teen driving the unusual contraption around.

Others have commented on the boy's creativity.

"You couldn't make this up," someone wrote.

"Sounds like a skit from The Chaser."

"Not going to lie, a part of me would be a little impressed," someone else commented.

Venom from some of the world's deadliest snakes could soon be used to heal wounds and save lives as bleeding patients are transferred to hospital.

Research conducted by the University of Queensland has found venom from Australia's eastern brown and a group of saw-scaled vipers could help stem uncontrolled bleeding.

This is because the reptiles' venom cocktail contains proteins that help accelerate blood clotting.

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The research team from the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) is working on a "venom gel", which has received follow-on funding from the United States Department of Defence.

The "potent" venom gel remains a liquid when stored in a cool place but solidifies at body temperature to seal the wound.

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In time it's hoped this gel could be sold in pharmacies, added to first aid kits, and used by paramedics or military personnel in combat zones, to stop bleeding.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Amanda Kijas explained uncontrolled bleeding accounts for 40 per cent of trauma-related deaths.

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"This figure is much higher when it comes to military personnel with serious bleeding in a combat zone," Kijas added.

"We hope this gel will accelerate the wound-healing processes needed for clotting and reducing blood flow, ultimately boosting the body's capacity to heal large wounds.

"The research shows there is five times less blood loss, and clots form three times more quickly when the venom gel is applied, compared to the body's natural process.

"This even includes people with haemophilia and those using blood thinners."

The research team is also exploring how the technology could treat burns and trauma injuries.

"Nature has created the most elegant and sophisticated mechanisms, and we can repurpose them to save people from dying," Kijas said.

The venom gel is currently being tested in pre-clinical evaluations and will be scaled-up toward commercial application.

Australia's eastern brown snake is the second deadliest land snake in the world. An untreated bite can kill in under half an hour.

Almost four million Australian adults, or one in five aged 18 and over, had contracted COVID-19 by February this year, according to a new study which also suggested the number of cases circulating during the Omicron wave was massively underreported.

Using 5185 samples from Australian blood donors aged 18 to 89, the results showed the highest proportion of adults with COVID-19 antibodies, a sign of a previous coronavirus infection, was in Queensland with 26 per cent, followed by Victoria, 23, and New South Wales on 21.

The vast majority of these infections are believed to have occurred during the Omicron wave that began in December 2021, sweeping first through the eastern states where it triggered mass lockdowns in Australia's biggest cities.

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The study claimed the results showed that the proportion of Australians infected was at least twice as high as indicated by cases reported to authorities by the end of February.

Evidence of past infection was highest among Australians aged between 18 and 29 at 27.2 per cent, declining with increasing age to 6.4 per cent in donors aged 70–89.

"The general pattern of antibody positivity in blood donors was consistent with the pattern in reported cases to the end of February (with) New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland having had big outbreaks, and Western Australia having very limited community transmission," Dr Dorothy Machalek, lead investigator on the project, said.

"Similarly, young blood donors had the highest rate of infection, matching higher reported case numbers in this age group."

According to latest federal government data, there have been at least 7.7 million coronavirus cases in Australia since the pandemic began in 2020.

The total number of Australians killed by the virus is 9268.

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Health officials estimate there are currently 208,000 cases active in the community, with more than 30,000 new cases in the most recent national update.

The serosurvey was conducted by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, the Kirby Institute at UNSW Sydney and other research partners.

A small Victorian energy provider is the seventh in Australia to urge its customers to move to another retailer as soon as possible to protect them from massive rate hikes.

The CEO of Electricityinabox, Morgan Duncan, has sent a letter to customers saying "only the lazy or crazy would stay" with his company, with its rates set to go up 95 per cent on July 1.

The letter from the self-described "little Aussie electricity retailer" to customers begins with the frank statement: "you need to find a new electricity provider today".

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"You need to be aware that smaller low price high value retailers are exiting this market. Four have already exited, some of them closed their doors," it continues.

Electricityinabox has advised it is not closing down but is exiting "this part of the market".

The letter explains other energy retailers purchased energy for a lower cost a long time ago and could still offer better deals.

Duncan has reassured customers the notification is not a scam.

Other energy companies that have told their customers to abandon them include ReAmped, LPE, Discover, Elysian and Future X.

Momentum, Simply, Mojo, CovAU and Nectr have all stopped accepting new customers.

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Regulators have announced that the government price cap will rise by between one to nine per cent in Victoria, by seven per cent in SA, eleven per cent in south-east Queensland and between eight and 14 per cent in NSW for about 1 in 10 households on "default market offers".

The price hikes are occurring because wholesale prices have increased to about six times what they were in April 2021.

Joel Gibson from consumer network One Big Switch has explained that smaller energy companies want to reduce their number of customers to cut their own costs.

"Smaller retailers are also more exposed to these skyrocketing wholesale prices if their customer base doesn't shrink down, so they need people to leave," he said.

"The tone of the letters from these smaller retailers says it all – if people don't switch, their bills could skyrocket and smaller retailers could go under."

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Hamish Blake has won the coveted Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television.

The comedian and LEGO Masters Australia host beat out the likes of Karl Stefanovic, Julia Morris, Melissa Leong, Ray Meagher, Tom Gleeson and Sonia Kruger to take home the prized statue for 2022 as the awards ceremony returned after a two-year hiatus forced by COVID-19.

Pretending to read an inscription on the statuette, he joked, "What does this say? 'Congratulations, you have won the 2022 Gold Logie. As there was no Gold Logie in 2020 or 2021, they jackpotted, and this counts for three.' Oh my god.

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"Plus, I actually won one 10 years ago, so to win four of these is, that is too much, that is a huge honour," he added, referencing his 2012 Gold Logie win.

Blake thanked his LEGO Masters team and wife Zoë.

"My beautiful wife … you don't get to stand up here unless you have amazing people behind you. You're the most amazing of people," he said.

He ended his speech with a sweet mention of his children, Sonny and Rudy.

"The greatest prize is to be your dad."

It was a night of success for Nine, including LEGO Masters Australia winning the award for Most Outstanding Entertainment or Comedy Program, and Travel Guides scooping Most Popular Lifestyle Program.

The ceremony included a moving tribute to TV legend Bert Newton, who died in October.

His widow, Patti Newton, was given a standing ovation as she spoke.

"It's still very raw. I'll never get over him not being here, but I know that he's with me," she said.

She announced the newly renamed Bert Newton Award for the Most Popular Presenter, which was also won by Blake.

FULL LIST OF LOGIES WINNERS

Most Popular Personality on Australian Television: Hamish Blake

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Drama Series: The Newsreader (ABC)

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress: Anna Torv (The Newsreader)

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actor: Richard Roxburgh (Fires)

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Support Actress: Heather Mitchell (Love Me)

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Supporting Actor: Colin Friels (Wakefield)

Bert Newton Award for the Most Popular Presenter: Hamish Blake

Silver Logie for Most Popular Actor: Guy Pearce (Jack Irish)

Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress: Kitty Flanagan (Fisk)

Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent: Tony Armstrong (News Breakfast, ABC)

Silve Logie for Most Popular Actor or Actress in an International Program: Jacki Weaver, Yellowstone (Stan)

Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Miniseries or Telemovie: Fires (ABC)

Most Outstanding Entertainment or Comedy Program: LEGO Masters Australia (Nine Network)

Popular Comedy Program: Have You Been Paying Attention (Network 10)

Most Popular Entertainment Program: Gogglebox Australia (Foxtel/Network 10)

Most Popular Lifestyle Program: Travel Guides (Nine Network)

Most Popular Drama Program: Home and Away (Seven Network)

Most Popular Reality Show: MasterChef (Network 10)

Most Outstanding Reality Program: I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here (Network 10)

Most Popular Panel or Current Affairs Program: The Project (Network 10)

Most Outstanding News Coverage or Public Affairs Report: The Project – Brittany Higgins Interview (Network 10)

Most Outstanding Factual or Documentary Program: Incarceration Nation (NITV)

Outstanding Sports Coverage: The Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2022 (Seven Network)

Most Outstanding Children's Program: Bluey (ABC)