The Pedestrian Council of Australia is pushing for new fines to be issued to distracted pedestrians after the introduction of diagonal crossings in Brisbane’s CBD.

Chairman of the Council, Harold Schruby is a strong supporter for the proposed $200 fine on distracted pedestrians, and said it will lead to “significant reduction in dangerous behaviour while crossing roads.”

If approved, council officers and police would have the power to issue a fine to people distracted by their phones or headphones while crossing the road.

Gang of Youths have called for ticket reseller Viagogo to be banned in Australia, saying the company has become one of the most disgraceful scams encountered by the live music industry.

The band has asked fans to send them examples of how they’ve been affected by the “fraudulent operation”, and plan to send these reports to the Labour Party in an effort to shut the site down.

The global ticket company allows scalpers to inflate prices on its platform while also adding substantial fees.

The restriction of townhouses and apartments in Brisbane’s outer suburbs forms part of major changes to Brisbane’s City Plan proposed at yesterday’s Council Meeting.

According to Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, the plan acts as an attempt to save Brisbane’s suburban backyards from townhouses, as well as accommodate the city’s ageing population.

The plan will implement new multi-storey retirement and aged cares zones in order to cope with an extra 44 000 people over the age of 70 in 8 years.

A Seattle based tech startup has developed a solution to the vast deforestation caused by the California wildfires on the US west coast.

The company, DroneSeed, uses drones equipped with multispectral cameras and 3D maps of an area to gather information about soil and vegetation and determine ideal areas to plant trees.

After many successful trials, DroneSeed is planning on beginning it’s first post-fire restoration project in California in December.

A Syrian man who was forced to live in a Malaysian airport for close to seven months has been granted asylum in Canada.

37 year old Hassan al-Kontar left his homeland to avoid mandatory military service after war broke out in Syria in 2011, and was deported from the UAE to Malaysia after moving through several countries.

Multiple human rights groups campaigned for Kontar’s wellbeing while he documented his time in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with Canadian sponsors recently helping to arrange his asylum.

The NSW State Emergency Services have made six rescues in Sydney after unprecedented downfalls have led to commuters becoming trapped in rising waters.

The bizarre torrential rain saw almost a months worth of rainfall in two hours, leading to dangerous road conditions and power outages across the region.

Sydney Airport has cancelled a number of domestic and international flights as a result of the rain, and the SES is urging drivers not to risk their lives driving through flood waters.

Former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has praised Julia Banks as a “strong sensible centrist” after she abandoned the governing Liberal Party to move to the crossbench.

Bishop added that no political party could reach its potential unless it sought to achieve an equal number of women in its ranks.

According to Bishop, Banks’ reclassification as an independent has highlighted the challenge for the Liberal Party to promote women and establish a pipeline of talent willing to enter politics.

A new report by the UN has revealed that global efforts to tackle climate change are way off track, as CO2 emissions rise for the first time in four years.

The emissions gap report lists economic growth as the main contributor to climate change, with huge change needed to cap global CO2 emissions and meet the goal of the Paris climate pact by 2020.

The report was published in time for a major UN climate conference in Poland, with the aim to inform delegates of the urgency to take action.

RACQ has released data showing five rescues of Queensland children or dogs a day, from hot cars in the past year.

Spokeswomen Kirsty Clinton says its important for people to be vigilant in the summer months as temperatures in cars can rise by ten degrees in eight minutes, even if parked in the shade or with an open window.

The report comes as a heatwave breaks records across Queensland, continuing into the weekend, with Cooktown recording a scorching 43.9 degrees yesterday afternoon.