8am Zedlines
Good morning, this is Sam and Shirley with your 8am Zedlines.
Crackdown on QLD child sex offenders
Queensland child sex offenders will be subject to a new series of strict control measures under new laws announced by the State Government.
The proposed changes would be the strongest in the country, and aim to keep repeat offenders accountable to law enforcement for life.
They have been introduced amid concerns surrounding the unmonitored release of serial rapist Robert John Fardon into the community next month.
Revenge porn legislation still needs work
A gap in the Queensland Government’s newly introduced revenge porn legislation has been identified in a parliamentary committee hearing.
Brisbane Domestic Violence Service team leader Rebecca Shearman believed sexually threatening posts made without associated imagery are not covered under these new laws.
Ms Shearman went on to detail examples where women had been extorted and humiliated by offenders who posted their personal contact details and sexual interests on Facebook.
AMP charges life insurance to the dead
Financial services giant AMP has been exposed for knowingly charging life insurance fees to dead people.
AMP told concerned staff members the company intends to refund extra fees after the life insurance is claimed, according to the Royal Commission.
The firm is the third to be exposed for the practice by the Royal Commission, following NAB and the Commonwealth Bank.
Welfare increase could boost economy?
Raising Newstart payments by $75 a week could help boost the economy, according to a Deloitte report.
Deloitte economist Chris Richardson said the direct cost of an increase is around $3 billion dollars a year, which would flow back into the economy in the long term.
Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service, says Newstart payments are a national embarrassment, and unemployment payments have been kept low for too long.
Thai cave rescuer sues Elon Musk
A British diver who assisted in the Thai cave rescue is suing Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who accused him of being a paedophile on Twitter.
The diver, Vernon Unsworth, is filing a lawsuit to seek more than $75,000 US dollars in damages.
The accusations come after Mr Unsworth criticised Mr Musk’s role in the rescue during a television interview with CNN in July.
Bodies recovered from Philippines landslide
Rescue workers in the Philippines have recovered bodies buried in the the landslide caused by Typhoon Mangkhut in the country’s mining town of Itogon.
According to a national police report, the death toll on Monday midday reached 65, with 43 people missing and 64 sustaining injuries.
Victorio Palangdan, the Itogon mayor, said he believes 99 per cent of those missing did not survive the landslide.
Animals in Focus Conference
Once again this is a chance for attendees to enjoy two days of extensive animal care related topics delivered by national and international speakers who are the experts in their field.
Not only will this informative and unique event maintain its high quality presentations on sheltering and rescuing domestic pets and all things animal welfare, but it now includes important topics related to welfare and conservation and commercial farming practices. This year the theme is how innovations are being used to benefit the welfare of animals.
Green Jam at QPAC
Enjoy FREE live music on the Melbourne Street Green performed by local artists from South East Queensland including jazz students from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, musicians from JMC Academy, Jazz Music Institute, Brisbane City Council’s The QUBE Effect, BrisAsia projects and more.
From jazz, folk, to contemporary rock, it’s always a chilled, easy vibe. Check out past Green Jam artists below and see who’s on the bill next.
Review: Symphony For Me, QSO
Even if we’re not all classical music fans, there is a good chance that in some way this style of music has crept its way into our lives and hearts and been the focal point of a great memory in our life stories. The idea behind the performance of Symphony For Me, is to allow selected members of the public to come on stage and share with the audience their story of how this certain song has impacted their lives.