Inmates prepare to vote upcoming election for the first time
For the first time in Queensland History, thousands of prison inmates will be granted the right to vote in the upcoming state election in October.
This legislative change will allow prisoners serving sentences of less than three years the power to vote in state and federal elections.
A spokesperson for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Greg Barns, said all prisoners, irrespective of their sentence, should be entitled to vote and have a meaningful say on the issues that define their future.
Critics oppose Scott Morrison’s latest ‘gas-led recovery’ plan
Prime minister Scott Morrison has outlined a ‘gas-led recovery’ vision, and critics are calling it a ‘gas-fueled climate collapse.’
Critics say, gas is not a sustainable investment nor a cleaner alternative to coal, and this ‘vision’ undermines Australia’s transition into renewables.
The concept is highly controversial during the climate crisis but the federal government sees gas as the way to transition from coal.
Testing rates in NSW continue to fall
As of Tuesday, September 16, New South Wales health authorities have confirmed 7 new cases of Coronavirus in the last 24 hours.
Daily testing rates have fallen to the lowest number in over 2 months at just 8,800 tests.
However, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had previously said the state should aim for 20,000 tests per day.
Hurricane weakens as Tropical Storm Sally shifts to east towards Mississippi and Alabama
Hurricane warnings for New Orleans, Louisiana, weakened as Tropical Storm Sally shifts east to Mississippi and Alabama.
The National Hurricane Center said, the flash flood warning for New Orleans has been cancelled.
The state of Louisiana is still recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Laura three weeks ago.
10 children die after school fire in Tanzania
A school dormitory in North West Tanzania has caught fire and taken the lives of 10 students and left 7 others in critical condition.
The fire started in the dormitories of Byamungu English Primary School at around 4:30 local time.
School fires in the region are not uncommon however police and other authorities are yet to enhance the safety of the schools and determine the main cause of the fires.
Pool Shop: A Shadow
<p><span><span><em>- A Shadow</em>, the debut record from Brisbane singer-songwriter <strong>Jaimee Fryer</strong>, is both dazzling and intimate, trading in the indie rock of her band <strong>Major Leagues</strong> -for which she plays guitar- to explore a spellbinding spin on shoegaze. Under the moniker Pool Shop, Fryer examines her life experiences including coming out as queer and contemplating health and morality.</span></span></p>
Tricky: Fall To Pieces
<p><span><span>- How did the guy who came up turning out impossibly British rap couplets like “<em>don’t wanna be on top of your list, monopoly and properly kissed</em>” and “<em>touch you like cocoa</em>” with <strong>Massive Attack</strong> become an era-defining musician and personality?</span></span></p>
12PM ZEDLINES - SEPTEMBER 15TH
[Image: North Queensland Register]
Push for quarantine hub in Cairns
There has been a push for a quarantine hub to be created in far north Queensland to assist Australians stuck overseas with the chance to return home by Christmas.
The far north Queensland federal MP, Warren Entsch, has declared Cairns would be a perfect spot for a quarantine centre, due to multiple hotels being empty due to travel restrictions.
Entsch says Cairns is equipped with the facilities and experience to cater for such a situation, and would help assist with people arriving from overseas who currently have to do a 2 week hotel quarantine at their own expense.
One new case of coronavirus in Queensland
In Queensland, there has been one new case of coronavirus recorded overnight, leaving the state’s total number of active cases at 31.
The new case was an arrival from overseas, who is already in quarantine.