Village Roadshow made millions political donations during piracy debate

A new report reveals media giant Village Roadshow donated $6.7m to Australia’s major political parties while successfully lobbying for tougher piracy laws.

Donations of up to 1.2 million dollars coincided with national debates regarding copyright and piracy laws.

Queensland University of Technology intellectual property law expert Matthew Rimmer says it’s difficult to determine how much Village Roadshow influenced decision making.

 

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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping declare trade truce at G20

The impending trade war between China and the United States is delayed by 90 days after a G20 meeting between the two nations reached an agreement on the weekend.

US president Donald Trump says he will hold off imposing a 25% tariff on two hundred billion dollars of Chinese imports to allow for further negotiations on longstanding trade disputes.

Police recommend indicting Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu on bribery charges

Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in a corruption case with over 60 witnesses against the country’s telecom giant Bezeq.

Israeli police allege regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to the telecom company came in exchange for positive coverage of the prime minister.

Mr Netanyahu dismisses the calls for his indictment and describes the case as a witch hunt orchestrated by the media.

Plan for Ethics Commission to oversee MP behaviour

Australian parliamentarians and their staff are set to be governed by a new code of conduct.

If passed, the bill proposed by Independent MP Cathy McGowan, will instate an independent parliamentary standards commissioner who could refer individuals to a national integrity commission.

Ms Mcgowan needs the support of Labor and all seven crossbenchers to pass the bill.

Balloon causes SEQ train network shut down

A helium balloon spotted at Central station yesterday drew Brisbane CBD trains to a halt as Queensland Rail investigated.

Trains between Bowen Hills and Park Road and Bowen Hills to Milton were suspended for up to an hour because they could not proceed without touching the object.

A Queensland Rail spokeswoman says it’s the first time they’ve encountered the bizarre interference and the issue was resolved just after 2pm.

Hillsong transforming historical Brisbane theatre into church

Megachurch Hillsong has taken over Brisbane’s historical Tribal theatre intending on making it the permanent home for their services.

The theatre, also known as the Lyceum opened its doors in 1909 is recognised as Brisbane’s last historic city theatre.

Hillsong’s statement of intentions was released in April and has since sparked fierce opposition from Brisbane residents and the theatre historical society.

Demand for endangered Sumatran tigers increases

A rise in tiger traps is threatening to bring the Sumatran tiger population to extinction in Indonesia.

Local poachers report demand has increased for tigers, with the price growing from 85 to one thousand dollars per tiger.

Only 400 tigers remain in Indonesia, where rapid deforestation drives them further into crowded areas.

Civil unrest in Georgia after alleged voting fraud

The Eastern European country of Georgia faces civil unrest after accusations of corruption plague their recent leadership poll.

25,000 Georgians protested vote buying, voter intimidation and ballot stuffing in front of the capital’s parliament building Sunday.

Civil wars, mass demonstrations and unrest have continued to plague the small country since its independence in 1991.

The outcome of the vote could determine Georgia’s entry to the EU and NATO.

Digital media giants questioned by ACCC

News corp stands against Google and Facebook today as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission hands down its preliminary report into the fairness of competing print and digital platforms.

Google’s parent company expects to top $120 billion US dollars this financial year, while print media’s revenues are falling, leading to the loss of thousands of jobs nationwide.

The ACCC will rule on whether multinational digital servers are abusing their market power and exploiting the work of local journalists.