US judge refuses to block congressional subpoenas

A US judge has refused to block congressional subpoenas seeking financial records from banks that did business with President Donald Trump.

US District Judge Edgardo Ramos said in a ruling Trump and his company were "highly unlikely" to succeed in a lawsuit arguing the subpoenas seeking records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One were unlawful and unconstitutional.

Ramos also concluded the subpoenas have "a legitimate legislative purpose" and dismissed one-by-one arguments made to try to bury them.

Reject Shop to close 7 shops by June

The Reject Shop has said it will close down seven of its stores by the end of June as it faces a likely loss for the 2019 financial year.

The company said CEO Ross Sudano will leave "in the near term" and general manager of supply chain, strategy and innovation Dani Aquilina has been appointed acting CEO while it searched for a replacement.

Fat of the land Fattens little

After 180 millimetres of rain fell in through Western Queensland, Farmers are now facing a green drought- having green grass for feed but no water in reserve.

John Gardiner, of Bonfield said despite the recent rains, he still feels like he’s gone into another drought. "Here there's four dams that are only a quarter full and one dam that's completely empty," he said.

Recent rain has led to outbreaks of cattle illnesses caused by the combination of wet weather and access to lush green grass after months — or years — of dry pasture and supplements.

 

State government announces funding boost for park n' ride Ormeau train station.

The State government has announced a funding boost for Gold Coast park n’ ride at the Ormeau train station.

An extra $2 million will be allocated to improving the facilities, which is expected to increase the current 40 parking spaces by 110 for commuters.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey says while initial design work had indicated 70 extra spaces for the upgrade, further detailed design work showed that 110 extra spots could be included in the upgrade.

 

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate hints of Panda Sanctuary in Queensland

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has hinted that the Gold Coast could one day be home to a panda sanctuary, as relations with China continue to bloom.

He’s in the Chinese town of Chengdu (one of the world’s best panda breeding grounds) linking a sister city deal this week, which has been five years in the making.

Mayor Tate said him and the Mayor of Chengdu are discussing the idea of gifting a koala sanctuary to the town of Chengdu and bringing a panda sanctuary to Queensland.

 

Police report shows less than 1 per cent of accused domestic violence offenders in Queensland monitored with GPS trackers

A police report has shown that less than 1 per cent of accused domestic violence offenders in Queensland are being monitored with GPS trackers while out on bail.

21 alleged domestic violence offenders were fitted with an electronic device when released on bail in the 12 months from March 2018 to March this year.

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Chinese airlines to seek compensation after Boeing 737 MAX 8 Aircraft grounding and delivery delays

Three of China’s biggest airlines have filed claims seeking compensation following the grounding and delivery delays of 737 MAX 8 Aircraft.

Reports emerged on Wednesday that China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China would be seeking compensation after the aircraft were grounded following two deadly crashes earlier this year.

Neither the report nor airline spokespeople gave any financial or other details on the claim, although its existence has been confirmed.

Study shows that women work better in warm temperatures

A study conducted in Germany has showed that women's brains work better when the office air conditioning is set at a higher temperature while men prefer it cooler.

The study tested the ability of 500 men and women to perform a series of tasks at a variety of temperatures.

For women, the increase in performance while working in warmer temperatures was "significantly larger" than the decrease in male performance.

 

Dairy company Fonterra to close Deinnington factory as drought affect millk supply

Nearly 100 people are set to lose their jobs as dairy company Fonterra closes its western Victorian factory.

The New Zealand-based processor said its plant based in Dennington, which employs 98 people, is no longer viable and is to close later this year.

Fonterra boss Miles Hurrell said the drought has decreased supply in Australia which means there is excess manufacturing capacity in the dairy industry but it is the company’s goal to ensure the workers are supported at this time.