Sudan Protesters take to the streets

Hundreds of thousands of protesters have joined a sit-in outside Sudan's defence ministry to press the ruling military council to hand over power to a civilian administration.

The Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) alliance said on Thursday it has submitted a draft constitutional document containing its vision for the transitional period to the Transitional Military Council (TMC), but the TMC has shown no sign of willingness to relinquish ultimate authority.

Drone delivers emergency organ for transplant

A drone has delivered a kidney to a Baltimore hospital, where doctors then successfully transplanted the organ into a patient.

 

It was the first live test of the kidney-carrying aircraft, designed by doctors and engineers at the University of Maryland to help speed up the transfer of organs.

 

The test flight was a brief 4.8 kilometres and took just under 10 minutes, but Joseph Scalea, a University of Maryland Medical Centre transplant surgeon, said it represented the potential for many more lives to be saved.

Telstra boradband cable speeds set to double

Telstra cable broadband speeds are set to double for many customers across the country as the telco abandons its long-standing monthly fee to unlock maximum speeds.

Both Telstra and Optus throttle HFC cable broadband download speeds to 50 Mbps, unless customers pay an extra $20 or $30 per month respectively for a "Premium Speed Boost". This unlocks their cable's full potential of "up to 100 Mbps", in some cases reaching speeds of 120 Mbps.

Facebook bans Breast Cancer Australia fundraising ads

Facebook has banned Breast Cancer Australia ads that showcases topless survivors on the grounds of nudity.

 

The images show women's scars and mastectomies and while the fundraising ads were approved by Facebook last month, the social media giant had a last-minute backflip before today's campaign launch.

 

The Breast Cancer Australia Network has slammed the ban as ‘non-sensical’, saying it will greatly reduce the campaign’s ability to raise fund.

O'Sea appointed Interim Administration

Retired senior public servant Tamara O’Shea has been appointed Interim Administrator of Logan City Council yesterday.

The appointment took effect yesterday and follows the dismissal of 13 councillors, prompted by an unprecedented integrity crisis in Logan.

Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe says with nine of its 13 councillors automatically suspended as a result of serious integrity charges, council no longer had sufficient numbers to conduct meetings.

New flight path to boost economy and jobs

New flights direct from Seoul to the Gold Coast will pump more than $176 million into the economy and create close to 2000 jobs over the next three years.

Assistant Tourism Industry Development Minister Meaghan Scanlon says the new flights were secured through the Palaszczuk Government’s Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

Ms Scanlon says the new Jetstar route – in partnership with Jeju Air – would operate three times a week from December.

 

Four Saudi women activists temporarily released from detainment

Another four of the 11 activist women on trial and being detained in Saudi Arabia have been provisionally released, bringing the total to seven women.

 

The activists are being charged with contacting foreign media, diplomats and human rights after they were arrested in an apparent crackdown of supporters of women’s rights.

 

This release comes after international pressure to release the women from the ‘torturous’ environment where they have accused interrogators of sexual abuse.