9am Zedlines
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Roma resident claims her dog is being held ransom
A family whose french bulldog went missing 3 weeks ago has claimed their pet is being held ransom for $10,000.
The owners say that the dog was picked up by a stranger after wandering to a truck stop near its home in Roma.
A week later, a text message was sent demanding a $10,000 ransom for the dog from a reverse charges number.
Lead and Zinc spill into Queensland floods unstoppable
The spilling of lead and zinc from freight train wagons into Queensland flood waters cannot be stopped as authorities are unable to reach the area.
Queensland rail confirmed on Thursday night the train’s 80 wagons were found at varying angles as rising flood waters engulfed them 300km east of Mount Isa.
The train had been stored there as precaution on January 31st due to heavy rain on the Mount Isa line.
Indigenous Elders demands the asbestos remains at Wittenoom Gorge be cleared
Banjima Indigenous Elders have demanded the asbestos remains at Wittenoom Gorge in Western Australia be cleaned up.
The site used to be home to the Wittenoom mine which closed in 1966, however three million tonnes of asbestos tailings were left with negative effects on the local community.
The traditional owners, who have one of the highest mortality rates from mesothelioma of any group, anywhere in the world, are demanding the site be cleaned up.
Sydney man set to become first person to have two robotic arms
A Sydney man is set to become the first in the world to have two robotic arms.
Surgeons were forced to amputate the man’s arms after a bar he was holding hit high voltage power lines.
The connection of nerves, bone and muscle will allow him to control his prosthetic limbs using his mind.
German blocks Facebook data gathering
Germany’s antitrust regulator have banned Facebook from forcing its users to agree to unrestricted data collection without their consent.
The regulator says “in the future, Facebook will no longer be allowed to force its users to agree to practically unrestricted collection and assigning of non-Facebook data to Facebook accounts.
Facebook says it will appeal the landmark ruling, claiming the watchdog underestimated the competition Facebook faces from Europe-wide privacy rules.
Mars rover named after Rosalind Franklin
The UK have assembled a rover that will be sent to Mars in 2020 and will be named after DNA pioneer, Rosalind Franklin.
Rosalind Franklin played an integral role in contributing to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA and RNA.
The honour follows a public call for suggestions that drew nearly 36, 000 responses from across Europe.
8AM Zedlines
A new study which analyses the Australian Curriculum Senior reading list has found diverse sexual communities are severely underrepresented in the selected texts, with only The Great Gatsby and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night – containing characters, experiences or relationships outside of the heterosexual norm.
(Photo Credit Maya Nabrowski)
Saudi Arabia curtails the murder probe of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
A UN expert claims Saudi Arabia has “seriously curtailed and undermined” Turkey’s ability to investigate the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Jamal was last seen alive entering the Saudi consulate in Turkey’s capital of Istanbul on 2nd October.
Jamal was a prominent critic of Saudi Arabia and his killing is believed to be ordered by the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
BBC journalists arrested in Uganda
The Ugandan police have arrested a team of BBC journalists in the country’s capital of Kampala.
The journalists were investigating the illegal sales of government drugs, and the BBC says they are in contact with the relevant authorities and working to resolve the situation.
A Ugandan government spokesman has demanded the release of the team.