Two months on and thousands still homeless in Townsville

Residents in North Queensland are struggling to put a roof over their heads in the aftermath of the Townsville floods, with rental vacancies across the city now almost non-existent.

The Real Estate Institute’s Zone Chairman Wayne Nicholson has noted the distinct increase in rental enquiries, with some properties having up to 37 people turn up for a viewing, instead of the usual two or three.   

Smiths Chips ferris wheel endangers staff safety

Three female staff on the Smiths Chips Ferris Wheel at Sydney's Circular Quay have been left fearing for their lives after the door to the carriage broke off mid-air.

The three women were reportedly in a carriage near the top of the ferris wheel when the door got caught, ripped off and fell to the ground, causing the carriage and the women to lurch forward.

The incident occurred on the first day of the Smith's "Spin to Win" promotion near the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Sydney's Circular Quay.

Over 200 Chinese militia vessels swarm around Thitu

More than 200 Chinese militia vessels have swarmed near a Philippine-occupied island in the most hotly disputed region in the South China Sea.

The Philippino Department of Foreign Affairs lodged an official protest after 275 Chinese fishing-militia and military-controlled Coast Guard vessels appeared near Thitu Island.

China warned other countries not to attend UN meeting

China has been found to have warned other ambassadors about attending a UN Human Rights Council Meeting on Xinjiang human rights violations.

The NGO Human Rights Watch has obtained a letter sent by Chinese ambassadors that asked others to not co-sponsor, participate in, or be at the panel event last month.

Chinese diplomats also allegedly approached some delegates directly before the event where they repeatedly denied committing the alleged human rights abuses.

Local Platypus Found

Thanks to a waterway survey and DNA technology, a platypus has been found in Logan’s Albert River for the first time in 18 years.

The Logan City Council have collaborated with Wildlife Queensland to confirm platypuses were living in the river after a member of the public reported a sighting in 2017.

iPhone Explodes on Teenage Boy

A young boy from Dakabin, North Brisbane was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital last night after his iPhone 6S Battery erupted into flames.

The 15-year-old admits to bending the battery out of curiosity when it then sparked and quickly exploded onto his chest, searing several layers of his skin.

Victorian Coal Plants Producing High Pollution

Victoria's coal-fired power plants released more than a tonne of mercury into the atmosphere during 2017-18, and were the greatest source of fine-particle pollution nationwide.

Victoria's three coal-fired-power plants collectively pumped 1,007.5 kilograms of mercury into the atmosphere, with Yallourn power station single-handedly emitting 435kg of mercury — the highest in the country.

Brexit Still Seeking Resolution

The UK House of Commons voted on four more Brexit proposals last night, with all four failing to reach a majority.

The motion calling for a confirmatory referendum and the motion proposing a customs union both came within a dozen votes of a majority, giving some members hope for finding a resolution to Brexit.