Heft fines will be introduced next month to animal right activists
Hefty fines targeting animal rights activists who illegally trespass on New South Wales farms will be introduced next month in a crackdown on biosecurity laws.
Illegal trespassers could face on-the-spot fines of $220,000 per person and $440,000 for organisations.
Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said a trespasser could contaminate farming produce and have entire farming operations wiped out for biosecurity.
Endgame marks the highest grossing films of all times
Avengers Endgame has become the highest grossing films of all time out stripping Avatar’s decade long record after 13 weeks it was released.
Endgame has made an estimated total of US $2.79 billion so far, surpassing Avatar’s record by a million dollars
Marvel Studios president Kevin Fiege thanked fans on instagram and gave a shout-out to Avatar director James Cameron for holding the record for so long.
Suspicious Wildfires at Portugal
Authorities will investigate whether five central Portugal wildfires were deliberately lit after breaking out in the same pine forest Saturday afternoon.
Portugal Interior Minister Eduardo Cabrita said it is suspicious that such large fires started in such close proximity.
About 1,800 firefighters and hundreds of vehicles have been containing the blaze, which has left 20 people injured so far.
Tralala Blip - 'Eat My Codes If Your Light Falls'
10AM ZEDLINES
[Image credit: Flickr]
Whales caught in shark nets
A whale caught in a shark net off Currumbin Beach on the Gold Coast yesterday, struggling to free itself before being untangled by rescuers.
Queensland’s Marine Animal Release Team said they had unpicked the net by 2:30pm and the whale looked uninjured as it swam away.
Whales caught in shark nets are rare events according to the team, who says more than 33,000 whales pass the area each year.
White spot virus finally over
The white spot virus outbreak that devastated South-East Queensland prawn farms two years ago may finally be over, with latest biosecurity tests showing up clean.
Australian Prawn Farmers President Matt West says he wants to thank the Logan farmers who closed their farms in a bid to contain the disease.
Minister for Agriculture Mark Furner said Australia can be declared free of white spot disease if no traces are found in a round of tests next year.
Yellow crazy ants found on Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef
One of the world’s top 100 most invasive species, yellow crazy ants, have been found on the mainland near the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef.
The yellow crazy ants are known to cause devastation to native wildlife by creating super colonies and spraying formic acid that can blind and kill other animals.
Whitsunday Regional Council’s resource manager Scott Hardy said campgrounds and tourists boats are being monitored to prevent the ants from spreading to the islands.
Perth prefers cars then public transport
Perth commuters are favouring cars over public transport despite a $4 billion investment in the Western Australia public transport system.
Professor Newman says billions spent on new road infrastructure in previous years has discouraged public transport use.
Public transport usage declined in Perth at the end of mining boom in 2014, because public transport took longer and was pricier than cars.
Russian space capsule successfully docked at the International space station
Russian space capsule with 3 astronauts aboard successfully docked at the International Space Station on Saturday.
The Soyuz capsule docked after six hours and 20 minutes from when it blasted off from the Russia’s launch complex.
The Russian, Italian and American astronauts will join some other astronauts who have been aboard the space station since March.