Eastern sale yards are being flooded with female cattle

Throughout Central Queensland and much of New South Wales cattle producers are making the tough call to destock their remaining breeders along with hordes of young cattle, with no relief from drought in sight.

The kicker is that the yardings have been boosted by female cattle and young stock that have been weaned early as the scarcity of water begins to take its toll.

 

Crimean activists hand out flowers for International Women's Day

Activists in military fatigues in the Eastern European country of Crimea were seen handing out flowers to women ahead of International Women’s Day.

 

The activists were dressed as ‘the polite people’, a term coined for Russian soldiers who were involved in the annexation of Crimea five years ago.

 

An activist explained that in 2014 the women were happy about the ‘polite people’ because they felt protected.

Rain melting ice in Greenland

A new study has revealed that rain is falling in Greenland despite the usually freezing Arctic winter, and scientists say this is accelerating the melting of ice in the region.

 

The findings show that while there were roughly two spells of winter rain every year in the early phase of the study period, it has risen to 12 spells a year since 2012.

 

A massive Greenland ice sheet is being closely watched, and if it was to melt, the world’s sea level would rise by seven metres, threatening coastal populations.

Racial segregation of guests in large Australian hotel chain

Employees at the Ibis Styles Alice Springs Oasis Hotel have been  instructed by directing staff to segregate aboriginal people into inferior rooms while charging the same as other guests.

 

Six rooms of unclean and unfit conditions were set aside for guests from ‘the communities’, a local expression describing the indigenous people from Alice Springs.

 

A staff member at the hotel said the segregation was ‘pretty standard’ after employees received an email in June with instructions to racially profile the guests.

Researchers from UQ given grant to fight Parkinson's

Researchers from the University of Queensland will investigate how existing drugs could be repurposed  to fight Parkinson’s disease thanks to a new grant.

The research will be funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Shake It Up Australia Foundation and headed by UQ Centre for Clinical Research Group Leader Dr Richard Gordon.

'Queensland Voices' nominations open

The search is on for 20 Queensland women who are paving the way in their chosen field to feature in a new four-month campaign, ‘Queensland Voices’ with nominations opening yesterday.

Minister for Women Die Farmer, made the announcement at the Queensland Women in Business Summit on the Gold Coast, saying Queensland Women’s Week was a perfect backdrop to highlight women’s voices in media.

EU declares migration crisis over in comments against ‘fake news’

The European Commission has declared the migration crisis over, as it reinforced its stance against “fake news” and “misinformation” about the issue.

Frans Timmermans, the European Commission’s first vice-president said Europe is no longer facing a migration crisis, adding that structural problems remain.

In 2018, UN refugee agency, UNHCR, identified 116,647 people crossing the Mediterranean, which was an 89% reduction on people making the journey at the height of the crisis in 2015.

Two white farmers jailed in South Africa for murder of black teenager

Two white South African farmers were sentenced to prison on Wednesday for killing a black teenager who they had accused of stealing sunflowers.

During a hearing at the High Court in Mahikeng that was attended by black and white South Africans, Judge Ronald Hendricks described the killing as “disgraceful” and “appalling”.

The farmers have been sentenced to a combined 41 years in prison, resulting in the closure of a case that had fuelled tensions in the rural town of Coligny and showed the nation’s continuing racial divisions.