Activists launch Spring Carnival protests
This Saturday will be the first protest in a three week campaign against horse racing.
Campaign Director of Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses Elio Celotto, says they will have a large presence outside all of the seasons biggest racing events, starting with this Saturdays Caulfield Cup and The Everest.
“Before, during and after racing they endure shocking cruelty, whilst the industry keeps peddling the rhetoric that these horses are treated like kings,” Mr Celotto said.
Taxpayer spending on tree planting wasted by land clearing
After theAustralia government committed more than $1.5bn of taxpayer funds to planting trees in native habitats, it has wiped out carbon gains by bulldozing them in six months.
According to new data, in less than two years, land clearing will cancel out what the public is spending to avoid 125 million tonnes of carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere.
The Wilderness Society’s national nature campaigner, Jess Panegyres, says the action is absurd and is allowing Australia to become a global deforestation hotspot.
Redlands groups combine for first annual homelessness day
Redlands Coast organisations will come together on the lawns of Capalaba Library today to show support for those experiencing or facing homelessness.
Homelessness United, Love and Hope Redlands and the Department of Births, Deaths and Marriages will be among the organisations in attendance at the event today from 10am until 2pm.
Anyone affected by or facing homelessness are invited to talk with experts and connect with support services.
Queensland police says they can’t find whistleblower complaints
The Queensland police service says they can’t find records of whistleblower complaints, despite being required by law to keep them.
Former police Rick Flori, was told by the state’s information watchdog that police could not provide information relating to “public interest disclosures” he made between 2010 and 2018 because “the information is non-existent”.
Sources have questioned whether the police statements were designed to restrict information released to Flori, who is suing the services related to alleged reprisals.
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North Korean propaganda shows Kim Jong Un in ‘Putin-esque’ horse photoshoot
Recent political propaganda from North Korea shows leader Kim Jong Un riding a white horse on a sacred Korean mountain.
The horse and location are symbols associated with the Kim family’s seven decade dynastic rule over North Korea.
According to North Korean state media, the scenic photographs of Mount Paektu’s, the spiritual homeland of the Kim dynasty, have his supporters convinced the leader is planning a ‘great operation’.
Carrie Lam’s annual address suspended mid-speech
Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam was forced to abandon her annual address to parliament after she was heckled twice.
Opposition lawmakers disrupted the Legislative Council session by shouting and projecting slogans behind her, in relation to the controversial extradition bill.
One of lawmakers, Tanya Chan commented Ms Lam’s hands are soaked with blood, she was to blame for the Hong Kong’s troubles.
"We hope Carrie Lam withdraws and quits. She has no governance ability. She is not suitable to be chief executive,” Ms Chan said.
Farmes call for new drought policy
Farmers are calling on the government for a new drought policy, saying previous efforts have been a national failure.
The National Farmers’ Federation signed off on a drought policy framework on Wednesday, with the Minister for Drought David Littleproud agreeing to take the plan to cabinet for consideration.
In response to the ongoing drought, Labor called on the Coalition to establish a “war cabinet”, with shadow agriculture minister Joel Fitzgibbon urging the government to “take the politics out of it”.
ASIO claims threat from extreme right-wing terrorism has increased
ASIO issued a warning that the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism in Australia has increased and will remain an “enduring threat”.
ASIO boss, Duncan Lewis told Senate estimates in April, it was an important issue but the Christchurch massacre had not changed the agency’s calculus.
A report from the organisation said there had been 7 terrorist attacks in Australia and 16 “major counter-terrorism disruptions” since September 2014.
Queensland Museum identifies new fish species
Queensland Museum says a new species of rockcod, or grouper has been confirmed after two years of testing DNA.
After commercial fishermen sold the fish to market in 2017, experts determined the species is native to the central part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Fish expert Jeff Johnson said the fish were hard to get a hold of, as they were popular among buyers.