Thailand King fires officials

Days after Thailand’s King Vajiralongkorn removed his royal consort for ‘disloyalty against the monarch’, he has fired six officials for ‘extremely evil’ conduct.

Among the six were a woman, a senior police official and two royal guards accused of ‘exploiting their official positions for their own or other people’s gain’.

The Royal Gazette announced the six “didn't comply with royal regulations, which has brought severe damage to the royal affairs”.

President Trump lifts sanctions against Turkey

The US president, Donald Trump, announced the US will lift all sanctions against Turkey after it agreed to halt its attack on Kurdish-led-forces.

Trump emphasized that US troops were “safe” and saying, “let someone else fight over this long-bloodstained sand”.

Meanwhile, the presence of Russian troops across north-eastern Syria has expanded as a result of an agreement between Ankara and Moscow.

NSW Police hiding secret information

New South Wales Police has refused to discuss secret spyware with the potential to hack smartphones to the Government.

Mick Fuller, Police Commissioner, was questioned at Budget Estimates regarding officers deploying spyware to monitor criminal defence lawyers through smart devices. 

Commissioner Fuller defended the use of high-tech surveillance, including the Finfisher software marketed as ‘spyware’, for operations requiring a warrant.

"We cannot use those sorts of powers without a legal right," he said.

Australia helps enforce sanctions on North Korea

Australia is deploying a Royal Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Parramatta to support implementing United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korea.

Australia will work with international partners, maintaining pressure on North Korea to take concrete, verifiable and irreversible steps towards denuclearisation.

Since 2018, Australia has supported international efforts to deter and disrupt North Korea’s illicit trade and sanction-evasion activities.

Increased fatigue concerns for trainee doctors

Despite bullying reports going down, there is increased concern regarding fatigue in trainee doctors working excessive hours.

The latest AMA Queensland public hospital report surveyed 882 junior doctors across the state.

Chair of the AMA Queensland Council of Doctors in Training,Dr Hash Abdeen says it is very troubling that only a quarter of bullying incidents are being reported and 57% of junior doctors fear negative consequences from speaking up.

“22 per cent said they had felt unsafe at work," said Dr Abdeen.

17-year-old girl strip-searched

A 17-year-old girl was among over 20 Extinction Rebellion activist strip-searched by the Brisbane police.

Police warned the girl she would be strip-searched if she was arrested again.

The founder of the organisation Sisters Inside, Debbie Kilroy, said that strip-searching this girl was a “sexual assault by the state”.

Organic farming increasing carbon emissions

Research indicates greenhouse gas emissions would rise if all farms in England and Wales went organic as a result of increasing food exports to compensate for the low organic yields.

According to the analysis, for wheat and barley, organic farmers only yield half compared to conventional farmers, meaning 1.5 times more land would be required to grow the same amount of produce.