Flash Flooding in Far North Queensland

Torrential rain in Far North Queensland which has caused flash flooding, landslips, and prompted warnings for some residents to move to higher ground.

Senior forecaster Gabriel Branescu said the north tropical coast and may track south over the central coast over the coming days so that it will be a continuation of heavy falls, and wet days ahead.

Some parts have received more than 400mm of rain in less than 24 hours, and it is not expected to let up anytime soon.

Helicopter Crashes in Dam While Water-Bombing Bushfires

Six firefighting helicopters have been grounded across Australia after one of them crashed into a dam in eastern Victoria.

Two pilots and one engineer were on board the Aircrane when it crashed into a dam at Jericho after 7:00 pm.

The cause of the crash was not clear. The injured have been examined for minor injuries and shock, and they released from the hospital.

Victorian Music Festival Blames Government for Drug Overdoses

The recent overdose of six people at a Victorian music festival has been blamed on poor government drug policy.

Festival spokesperson Tim Harvey has compared the festival to a condensed version of the broader issues the community faces with drugs.

These speculations come after debate continues over the introduction of pill testing following the deaths of five people at a New South Wales festival in September.

65 Dead After Dam Collapses in Brazil

A dam collapsed in the Brazilian town of Brumadinho, leaving 65 dead and over 250 still missing, with numbers expected to rise in the coming days.

Brazilian and Israeli rescue workers are still searching for bodies through treacherous mud as of Monday after the burst dam spilled a flood of iron ore waste.

Brazilian authorities are now probing Vale SA, the world’s largest producer of iron ore, for explanations on the dams failure, with courts freezing approximately $3 billion from Vale assets for state emergency services.

U.S Charges Huawei With a Series of Crimes

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was charged with a series of crimes by the U.S. on Monday, escalating hostilities between the world’s biggest economic powers.

The US Justice Department said Huawei had based its global expansion on “lies and deceit”. Matthew Whitaker, the acting attorney general said criminal offending at Huawei went “all the way to the top of the company.”

Bull Shark Population On The Rise

Bull sharks are a common resident of the Brisbane River but population estimates varied wildly.

Queensland Museum ichthyologist Jeff Johnson says more than 98 percent were thought to be juveniles between one to six years old; ranging in length from 60 centimetres to 1.4 metres

With bull sharks being more predominant during the warmer months, Mr Johnson encourages dog owners to not allow their dogs to swim in the river to prevent shark attacks.

Australian Prisons Getting More Food Funding Than Aged Care Facilities

Elderly have reported being given unidentifiable, tasteless blobs on plates at the aged care center in Melbourne, with one resident saying abysmal food left them feeling dissatisfied.

A study published in 2017 of 817 Australian nursing homes found the average spend was $6.08 per person per day. In comparison, the Australian prison system was spending on average $8.25 on food per prisoner per day.

Increased Number of Bikie Gangs in Canberra

Canberra has seen an increase of Bikie gangs, with the arrival of the notorious European outlaw motorcycle gang, Satudarah increasing the numbers of gangs to five.

Police raided a house in Belconnen on Friday afternoon, arresting a 30 year old man, identified as the president of the Satudarah.

The man has been remanded in custody, with charges of aggravated robbery, inflicting grievous bodily harm, making a demand with a threat to kill and attempting to pervert the course of justice.