Syrian man detained after spending 6 months in Malaysian airport
A Syrian man who spent more than 6 months living in a Malaysian airport has been removed and placed in police custody.
Hassan al-Kontar sent a video to SBS’s Go Back Where You Came From highlighting his situation of fleeing his war-torn homeland and becoming stuck in Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Soon after the video aired, he was taken into custody by Malaysian police and detained by the Department of Immigration.
Senior Australians being given more certainty, options and independence
The Australian Government will invest an additional one-hundred-million dollars over two years to support senior Australians to remain living independently in their own homes.
The funding boost for providers of the five-point-five billion dollar Commonwealth Home Support Program will help grow five vital home services relied on by hundreds of thousands of people.
Baby cot national recall
An urgent recall has been issued for a cot over fears babies may become trapped.
Viki Nursery Youngoz three-in-one cot was deemed an “entrapment hazard”, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The gaps between the base side rail and vertical slats can create an entrapment hazard and any parent with the cot should contact the Viki Nursery on 03 9794 5609.
Brisbane’s northside stretch named crash hotspot
A report released today names Brisbane’s northside stretch the state’s most dangerous road for serious car crashes.
AAMI’s annual crash index reveals Gympie Road has seen a significant rise in crashes over the last financial year.
Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Sunnybank’s Mains Road and Logan Road at Mount Gravatt also appeared in the top ten crash hotspots.
State Government to stop Queensland Rail bonuses
The State Government has had to step in to stop Queensland Rail senior managers from sharing $3.6 million in bonuses.
The bonuses were approved by QR on Friday and would have granted bonuses to 380 staffers.
This comes despite earlier advice from Transport Minister Mark Bailey that no bonuses should be paid until QR timetables were restored and services were back to normal.
Mr Bailey said he was furious and issued a joint directive with the Deputy Premiere to reverse the decision.
Casual employees now able to request permanent contract
Image Source: Rawpixel
Iraq’s Parliament elects new president
Iraq’s Parliament has elected a veteran Kurdish politician as the country’s new president, in a step towards forming a new government.
Barham Salih (bara-ham sal-ee) of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), won 220 votes out of the 273 lawmakers who attended Tuesday's session.
He was among 20 candidates for the post, including one from the rival Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with two parties dominating Kurdish politics for decades.
Indonesian quake, tsunami death toll climbs
The death toll from the Indonesian quake and tsunami on the island of Sulawesi (Sul-a-wesi) has climbed to 1,347 according to the country’s disaster management agency.
Authorities and aid workers struggled to reach the affected areas made inaccessible by damaged infrastructure.
Some remote areas are still cut off after friday’s magnitude 7.5 quake triggered massive tsunami waves destroying roads and bridges, damaging 65,000 homes and displacing over 60,000 people.
Casual employees now able to request permanent contract
Casual employees now have the right to ask for a permanent contract if they’ve worked regular hours for at least a year, thanks to a new ruling from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Employers can refuse the request, however, they must consult with their employee first and provide an explanation based on reasonable grounds.
Australian Council of Trade Unions President Michelle O’Neill says this is an important change as every employee should be able to have secure work.
Australia set to eliminate cervical cancer by 2035
Australia is set to become the first country in the world to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health issue, following the success of screening and vaccination programs.
This news comes as new research predicts the rate of cervical cancer in Australia will fall to less than 6 in 100,000 by 2022 and below 4 in 100,000 by 2035.
Professor Karen Canfell from the Cancer Council says it's exciting news, but we still need to maintain our efforts against the disease.