Sick Queenslanders are languishing on ballooning elective surgery lists where the number of patients waiting longer than clinically recommended has doubled in a year, with a shocking three in five heart patients not seen on time.

Police have demanded parents have tough conversations with their children about carrying knives, as new figures reveal a 21 per cent increase in young people being caught with them.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk billed taxpayers more than $64,000 for a $700-a-minute invite-only Christmas party to which she invited Hollywood director Baz Luhrmann.

And in sport, Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has pulled off another stunning poaching raid by snaring Broncos enforcer Tom Flegler on a $3m deal as expansion tensions exploded in the battle for Brisbane’s elite talent.

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