Brisbane’s homeless population forced to the suburbs

A recent study by the Australian Housing and Urban Research institute released a report last Thursday finding Brisbane’s homeless populations are being pushed further out into the suburbs.

 

The report also found that Brisbane youth and older women are being forced into homelessness due to high rents and lack of entry-level jobs .

 

Brisbane watch house officers suspended for using ‘excessive force’ on a 16-year-old boy

Two Brisbane watch-house officers have been suspended from the Queensland Police Services over their handling of a teenager in detention.

 

There was an alleged use of excessive force on a 16-year-old male detainee in the Brisbane watch-house.

 

These charges have come after ABC’s four corners report on the detention of Queensland children in adult watch houses due to the overcrowding of youth detention centres.

Australians’ private details exposed in attack on Westpac’s PayID

The private details of almost 100,000 Australian Westpac customers were exposed due to a recent cyber-attack.

 

The attack was on real-time payments on the platform PayID which allows an instant transfer of money between bank accounts.

 

Experts warn access to these details could lead to fraud on a mass scale.

Two more refugee suicide and self-harm incidents increases tally since Australian election

Since the coalition government’s re-election on May 18, the number of self-harm and suicide attempts by refugees in offshore detention has surpassed 30.
 

Following separate incidents on Monday, two asylum seekers have received treatment at the Pacific International Hospital.
 

Ian Rintoul, a spokesman for the Refugee Action Coalition describes the situation on Manus Island as a ‘downward spiral’.  

Swedish court decides not to extradite Assange

A Swedish court has rejected a request to detain whistleblower Julian Assange over a rape case in 2010.

 

The court ruled in favour of Assange's Lawyer saying the detention order was not “proportionate” as he was imprisoned in Britain and the investigation into his case could proceed in other ways.

 

Swedish deputy director of public prosecutions, Eva-Marie Persson, told the court Assange had not cooperated with Swedish authorities and needed to be detained and questioned in Sweden.   

Preserve New Guinea’s Haven for frogs

Scientists called for urgent action to preserve the island of New Guinea as a refuge from the Chytrid fungus that is wiping out frog species around the world.

 

The fungus has wiped out more than 90 frog species worldwide, and is driving another 500 species towards extinction.

 

A team of international scientists, including JCU’s Professor Ross Alford, have developed a five-step program to preserve New Guinea as one of the only places in the world where frogs are safe from the fungus.

Queenland’s new Multicultural Ambassadors announced

Twenty new organisations have joined the Multicultural Queensland Ambassador Program in support of the Palaszczuk Government’s vision for a harmonious and united Queensland.

 

Brisbane Broncos, Brisbane Bullets, Netball Queensland and Tennis Queensland are among the major organisations placed to promote diversity and inclusion.

 

Container refund scheme could expand to include wine and milk bottles

In light of the unprecedented success of the container recycling scheme, Noosa MP Sandy Bolton questioned the possibility of currently excluded containers like wine, milk and sprite bottles to be included.

 

According to officials, to minimise cost and maximise efficiency, the list of containers accepted by the Queensland scheme must remain as similar to other states as possible.

 

However Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch acknowledged the ‘possibility of future change’.