Three domestic violence orders broken each hour
According to Queensland police statistics, three domestic violence orders (DVOs) are broken each hour with 27, 500 DVOs broken in 2018 alone, averaging 75 breaches a day.
Queensland Women’s Legal Service CEO, Angela Lynch, said the increase in breaches may have positive consequences if more women seek help and the cases are prioritised by the police while the courts issue more protection orders.
If this story has raised any issues surrounding domestic violence which you would like to talk about, call DV connect on 1800 737 732.
Bee venom now easily collected
A UQ Biotechnology student has invented a venom collector which minimises harm to bees compared to normal harvesting techniques.
The invention, created by James Watts, aims to collect venom in a way which doesn’t harm bees so the venom can be used for HIV, dementia, pharmaceutical and cosmetics.
Watts hopes his company, Whale Labs, receives more crowdfunding for his invention to promote safer ways of venom collection.
Reports of fraud in egg industry
There are concerns that caged and fertilised eggs, laid by hens raised for meat, are being packed and sold as free-range in Western Australia.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is investigating these reports and WA’s Minister for Agriculture and Food, Alannah MacTiernan, is urging the state’s egg producers to provide their best evidence over to the ACCC.
Peter Bell, managing director of Golden Eggs in WA, said egg substitution exists and it’s sometimes hard to identify, particularly if it’s caged eggs put int free-range.
Artefacts from Ned Kelly's last stand salvaged
Artefacts from Ned Kelly’s last stand have been salvaged, and are set to be put on display in Glenrowan in tribute to one of Australia’s most infamous events.
A small brass box was found after having been taken as a souvenir by locals the day after the Glenrowan Inn burnt down in 1880, destroying most other artifacts.
Much public interest and media attention on Kelly has continued as historians find more artifacts, and try to piece together Kelly’s story.
#MeToo activist is protesting for new abortion laws
#MeToo activist and actress Alyssa Milano has called for a female #sexstrike to protest new abortion laws in the American state of Georgia.
Georgia is the fourth US state to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which may be as early as six weeks which is often before many women even know they are pregnant.
Milano took to twitter to urge women to follow in the footsteps of Iroquois and Liberian activists and engage in abstinence, saying women cannot risk pregnancy until they “get bodily autonomy back”.
Polish artists and activist facing jail time
Polish artist and activist Elzbieta Podlesna has been arrested after putting up posters of the Virgin Mary against a rainbow-coloured halo, symbolising an LGBT flag.
Amnesty International said the several legal proceedings she faces is just another example of the constant harassment she faces for carrying out “peaceful activism” and may serve up to two years prison.
The LGBT community are facing strong political debate prior to European Parliament elections which will take place from May 23 to 26.
Review: Goran Bregovic & His Wedding and Funeral Band "Three Letters from Sarajevo" at QPAC 2019
With an entry like no other, the first and second trumpet players of Goran Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Band entered from the back of the Concert Hall at QPAC on May 9th 2019 for a fantastic night of gypsy-balkan music. You can only expect the audience to go wild with numbers like Balkaneros, Maki Maki, Bella Ciao and Kalashnikov as well as newer songs from the album Three Letters from Sarajevo such as Duj Duj, Made in Bosnia and Pero.
Various Artists: Aussy Bangers
- If, like me, you feel like you’re losing touch with underground beats -maybe you were never in touch to begin with?- don’t worry. Kat Martin, Good Samaritron and in fact a huge chunk of Australia’s leftfield beats scene are here to help you out, with an armful of Aussy Bangers.
An Horse: Modern Air
- If asked to name the biggest bands to come out of Brisbane in recent years, An Horse would probably not be the first to come to mind. Yet the duo who left Queensland for the US a decade ago have an impressive list of indie artists they have toured with, and are now back with their first album in eight years, Modern Air.
Laneous: Monstera Deliciosa
- Monstera Deliciosa is the right name for this record. It’s huge and absolutely unrepentant in all its highly confected, grinning ostentatiousness. In some way it seems still larger because, for all that Laneous has been about forever, doing his thing in multiple outfits, in multiple artforms, for a decade, I didn’t really see this coming from Australia's neo-soul mischief maker.