Novichok Poisoned by Russian Military Official
One of the men accused of the nerve agent poisoning of Sergei Skripal has been revealed to be a highly decorated Russian intelligence officer.
The true identity of wanted man Ruslan Boshirov has been revealed as Colonel Anatoliy Vladimirovich Chepi, who poisoned former Russian spy, Skripal.
Investigative journalism organisation Bellingcat made the revelation with The Telegraph, reporting on the 39 year old’s ties to Vladimir Putin.
Journalist Controversy in Parliament
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has denied directing his friend, ABC Chairman Justin Milne on issues related to the sacking of journalists or editorial decisions.
The former business partner to the former PM has been implicated in communications insisting the then managing director of the ABC Michelle Gutherie fire journalist Emma Alberici following her analysis of the Turnbull tax policy which was found to show a ‘lack of impartiality’.
Toxic Grain Kills Birds
An inability to access quality food has been blamed for the death of prize and heritage winning birds in New South Wales.
Open range farmers Hayden and Beth McMillan were forced to give their birds a different feed due to drought conditions, 1200 birds dying before reaching the processing stage.
Over half of the meat birds were dead before they reached the culling age of eight weeks.
Bed Tax
Airbnb is calling on the Queensland state government to introduce a ‘bed tax’ for guests staying in any Queensland Bread and Breakfasts or hotels, in the hopes to boost local infrastructure.
Under a model, guests would be expected to pay a 5 per cent surcharge for their short-term stay.
Airbnb Head of Public Policy for Australia and New Zealand, Brent Thomas, says small Queensland towns with only a few thousand residents are inundated with tourists during summer and school holidays, putting pressure on council budgets.
Brisbane City Bus system faces delays
Brisbane City buses may soon face delays towards the West End Peninsula as a result of the Victoria Bridge redesign.
The Blue CityGlider, and University of Queensland busses will face the main delays, and the changes will see the Brisbane Metro system from four lanes to three.
This redesign will see up to 10,000 cyclists a month using the planned cycling lane across the Victoria Bridge.
Great Barrier Reef Foundation grant intended as a ‘trial case’
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
Brisbane City Bus system faces delays
Image Source: Brisbane City Council
9am Zedlines
Image Source: Pixabay, pexels
Identity Database Approved
India’s high court has approved the legality of the world’s first biometric database, saying it does not violate its citizens’ rights to privacy.
The Aadhaar database already has 1 billion people enrolled in it, handing over personal details such as fingerprints and iris scans.
The system was designed to reduce welfare fraud, and if citizens don’t sign up, they can’t receive basic welfare services such as food rations.
Big Bird, but this is no Sesame Street
The largest bird to ever live has been revealed as the Vorombe Titan—an extinct feathered leviathan from Madagascar.
This bird has been described as an ostrich-like elephant, standing at almost three metres tall and weighing just under 800kg.
Experts have spent decades debating which bird is the largest to exist. According to scientists from the Zoological Society of London, a study of Madagascar’s elephant birds is what brought the final answer.