Brendan took on Tommy Tips for Round 20 of the NRL Regular Season

The new guidelines for next year’s Queensland english curriculum will allow students to study things like DJ playlists, tweets and tattoos.

Students in Years 11 and 12 doing ‘Essential English’ would not be required to read an actual book.

One of Australia’s leading education experts Dr Kevin Donnelly from the Australian Catholic University tells Mark we do students no favours by dumbing things down.

A small but significant number of Queensland school children start their day without a proper breakfast.

That is where Foodbank Queensland comes to the rescue providing about 14,000 meals each week at some 250 schools across the state.

It has just received a $1-million funding boost and CEO Michael Rose tells Mark that will help expand the program to another 42 schools in the southeast.

Falling memberships have placed the survival of many bowls and golf clubs across the country in serious jeopardy.

Clubs are increasingly looking for new sources of revenue to keep the greens watered and the members playing.

The Sandgate Bowls Club on Brisbane’s northside wants to set up its own microbrewery because as club chairman Ian Connell tells Mark the club can no longer rely on volunteers for its survival.

It has been announced that the internationally acclaimed jukebox musical Jersey Boys is returning to Brisbane in the new year.

The show, which tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, will be staged at the Lyric Theatre at QPAC and tickets go on sale this Thursday.

Two of the stars of the show Glaston Toft and Cameron MacDonald tell Mark there’s something special about playing real people.

The RSL has launched a new online resource to educate Queensland students about Australia’s long and proud military history.

The free RSL Education website caters from students all the way from prep to year 12.

RSL Queensland State Secretary Scott Denner tells Mark it is far more than black and white photos in history books.

Air China has announced it is suspending its four weekly direct services between Brisbane and Beijing.

Since the flights were launched to much fanfare last December 35,000 passengers have traveled between the Chinese capital and Brisbane.

Daniel Gschwind from the state’s peak tourism body, the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, tells Mark it is a blow and it is hoped the airline will reconsider.

One in five Australians lives with chronic pain.

That number increases to one in three for people aged 65 and over and with an aging population the situation is only set to get worse.

It is National Pain Week and the president Chronic Pain Australia Dr Coralie Wales tells Mark sufferers need more support from governments and healthcare professionals.

The Groundwater Festival is Australia’s fasting growing country music showcase.

If you are not familiar with the name that is because for the last five years it has been called the Broadbeach Country Music Festival.

It’s on from the 27th to the 29th of July and one of the big names taking the stage is Amber Lawrence who tells Mark it is one of the highlights on her country music calendar.

Countries around the world are seeing a worrying decline in bee numbers which has prompted a renewal of interest in beekeeping, including in inner-city areas.

In the Brisbane suburb of West End apiarist Jack Stone from Bee One Third has set up rooftop hives with 160,000 insects.

He tells Mark they will help the suburb really blossom.