Clive Palmer's Mobile App Found to Track Users

Clive Palmer's recently released campaign gaming app, this app includes a feature allowing to track the location of users who have downloaded it to mobile phones with Google's Android operating system.

Tom West as the developer, he said the app had been downloaded more than 30,000 times since its launch two weeks ago.

The game was developed looks set to again draw attention to Mr. Palmer's regard for voters' privacy, following his party's mass text messaging campaign over the past month.

New Drug Treatment Trial for Sufferers of PTSD

Melbourne researchers have embarked on a major trial investigating a promising new drug treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; a condition affecting 800,000 Australians.

N-acetylcysteine, also known as NAC, has shown great promise as medication for reducing PTSD symptoms;  after an initial trial involving two dozen US veterans saw a 32 percent improvement in their symptoms, compared to 3 percent given a placebo.

A Melbourne study will involve 126 participants with PTSD who have been resistant to other medications and treatments.

China Jails Prominent Human Rights Lawyer

Wang Quanzhang, one of the country’s foremost human rights lawyer was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for subversion of state power.

The 42-year-old went missing in 2015 amid a crackdown on activists and lawyers and is known for defending political activists as well of victims of government land seizures and police torture.

Doriane Lau, China researcher with rights group Amnesty International, called the verdict "a gross injustice."

Pope Francis Considers Allowing Married Priests

The Pope is considering allowing married priests but enforces celibacy rule.

Pope Francis has definitively ruled out any chance that he would change the Roman Catholic rule requiring priests to be celibate.

He has stated that he is open to consider ordaining older married men in exceptional circumstances in remote areas with severe shortage of priests.

Brisbane's Breakfast Creek Is Shrinking In Dry

Locals are concerned about the sprawl of dry creek bed at Breakfast Creek’s ‘Turtle Bridge’ and say the area desperately needs heavy rain.

Many parts of south-east Queensland are on track for the driest January on record, and no significant rainfall is forecast.

Brisbane is not drought-declared, but the city’s ecosystems located in parklands and environmental corridors along creek catchments are showing signs of strain.

More Queensland Parents Keep Children At Home

As the school year begins this morning, an increasing number of Queensland parents are delaying their child’s first year of schooling, citing concerns their four-year-olds are not ready to start prep.

 

Prep was initially optional but become compulsory in Queensland in 2017. Education Department figures show the rate of delayed entry rose from 1.5% in 2010 to 6.9% in 2018.

 

Gum Trees Against Global Warming

Australia is doing darndest to cut down more trees, resulting in all kinds of disasters, forests are disappearing in NSW and Queensland that WWF International has put Australia on the list of global deforestation hot spots.

 

The University of Melbourne botanist Dr. Gregory Moore says gum trees can help fight global warming, and some are as “ tough as old boots” to immune Australia heat stress.

 

Climatologists say one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions should protect the size of forests.

Coalition Gains Ground In First Newspoll For 2019

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his coalition has gained ground in the first newspoll for 2019, receiving the highest rating since the removal of Malcolm Turnbull.

 

The news arrives before Morrison is due to make his first major economic speech of the year. Beginning the uphill battle to save his government before the May elections.

 

Labor still has a significant two-party lead of 53 to 47.

Mexican Workers Strike To Committees

About 40,000 (forty thousand) Mexican Border factory workers took to the streets to demand for higher pay.

 

The workers were promised a 20 percent raise in the new year and a bonus of $30,000 pesos, about $2000 dollars. Instead they were told they would have to wait until next year.

 

The strike comes from over 40 factories in Matamoros and workers say they will continue to strike until they get their money.