Brisbane Refugee Action collective to protest outside Magistrate Court

Brisbane’s Refugee Action Collective is holding a protest for justice for Hamid and to call for the end of offshore processing outside the Magistrates Court, when the coroner's findings regarding the death of Hamid Khazaie are handed down - 9am-10.00am, Monday 30th July.

 

The group has blamed the Governments offshore detention program for Hamid’s death along with delaying moving him to an onshore medical facility.

 

Youth Detention Centres to be improved

Progress to improve conditions in Queensland’s two youth detention centres have been made over the last few months to cope with population pressure.

 

The latest Queensland quarterly Youth Detention Inspectorate report released made recommendations to manage pressures and create additional capacity due to an unexpected spike of young people in detention.

 

Minister for Youth Justice Di Farmer says we need to change the story for these young people and that is what our strategy will be designed to do.

Lee Lin Chin delivers last bulletin for SBS

Fashion icon and SBS presenter Lee Lin Chin delivered her last bulletin for SBS news on sunday night after announcing her resignation after 30 years.

 

Wearing an eccentric black ensemble, sunday night’s program ended with highlights of her careers and tributes from her colleagues.

 

Fans took to twitter to trend #LeeLinChin with some heading to Melbourne’s Federation Square to watch it on the big screen and many praising Chin for being a pillar of diversity on national television.  

Screen Australia announces $2.9 million for 10 documentaries

Screen Australia is announcing an investment of $2.9 million to fund 10 projects through the Documentary producer and documentary commissioned programs.

 

New projects slated include a new ABC feature about the Black Saturday bushfires and a new three-part series for SBS by Blackfella films called First Wars.

 

Senior manager of Documentary at Screen Australia says they can be proud of contributing to funding these documentaries as it speaks to the value we place on recording our nation, its people and our home.

 

Refugees head to the US

Fourteen more refugees, mostly single men – Rohingyan, Afghans, and Pakistanis – left Nauru yesterday to be resettled in the US.

 

The group also includes the single Iranian woman who was the only Iranian from Nauru or Manus to be accepted for resettlement in the US this year.

 

More than 1500 people including over 120 children remain held in offshore detention on Manus and Nauru.

Mortars fired as Mali Votes

Malians are voting in their Presidential election, with attacks disrupting polling in areas plagued with ethnic violence.

 

30,000 security personnel were deployed across the country, although several attacks occured in central and northern parts of the African nation, with voting even stopped in a village in the northern region of Kidal where 10 mortar shells were fired.

 

Queensland AI technology to help with cancer treatment

An Australian first collaboration will see Queensland artificial intelligence company Max Kelsen partner with QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute to tailor cancer patients’ treatment to improve its effectiveness.

 

The two-year project seeks to analyse cancer patients’ genetics through AI to find more complex patterns and help personalize the most effective treatment for the individuals.

 

Help on the way for families affected by ice and other drugs

The State Government has announced an investment of more than $5.4 million across 10 regions to break the hold of ice and other drugs on Queensland families.

 

Child Safety Minister Di Farmer said the new Breakthrough for Families program was about helping families to stop the damage and break the cycle of addiction so they could safely look after their children.

 

The program will be delivered by Apunipima Cape York Health Service, Lives Lived Well, Drug Arm and Bridges Aligned Service Inc.

Victorian Deputy Premier asks Police to Investigate 24 coalition MPs

Deputy Premier James Merlino has asked Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton to investigate 24 coalition MPs over alleged election fund rorting in the last state election.

 

The allegations include using electorate office staff for campaigning in 2014 and ministerial advisers not taking leave during the caretaker period.

 

The request from Victoria Labor comes only a week after Victoria Police announced the fraud squad was investigating the Labor Party’s misuse of $388,000 of public money in the 2014 election campaign.