11 am Zedlines

This has been Lawrence and Renee with your 11 am Zedlines. 

(Image Credits: Airman 1st Class Aubrey Robinson, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs) 

Trial for specialist child carers to start

A two-year intensive support trial of specialist foster carers for children with complex and challenging behaviours will start to place its first child in September.

 

The $2.7 million trial is based on a successful overseas model to help children aged under 12 to overcome significant trauma and go on to a bright future.

 

Minister for child safety Di Farmer says this new program aims to provide stable, supportive family environments for children and young people with very complex needs.

Ancient-tree given second chance

An ancient Queensland giant red gum tree estimated to be between 250 and 1,500 years old has been given a second chance at life after local artists salvaged it from a wood chip pile.

 

Artist Anne Harris was at the local dump after the 50 meters tall and 1.8-metre wide tree was taken there after it fell onto the main road and was offered the opportunity to take it away.

 

NSW task force to probe into prison cultural issue

Former NSW Police assistant commissioner Mark Murdoch will be leading a task force investigating the cultural issue in prisons after allegations of guards sleeping with inmates surfaced.

 

NSW Corrections Minister David Elliott has become aware of appalling revelations in prisons across the state in the past 10 days after a female guard was suspended over an alleged relationship with a convicted cop-killer.

 

Australian government urged to reject Cambodian election

The Australian government has been urged to reject election results in Cambodia which have been called a sham.

 

The election which saw incumbent Prime Minister Hun Sen elected through silencing opposition and press, has been slammed by democracy advocates.

 

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop told Four Corners the Australian government would use meetings to advocate human rights and democracy.

Mugabe speaks out on eve of Zimbabwe election

More than 5 million people are registered to vote in the first election without former leader Robert Mugabe on the ballot, who was forced out of office through military intervention.

 

Although it has not stopped the former President speaking out saying he will not vote for his successor Emmerson Mnangagwa who tormented him and will find a candidate from the list of 23 people running for President.

 

Mnangagwa and MDC alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa is seen as the top two contenders.

Fears in Assam as NRC draft list to be published

Indian authorities are set to release the final draft list of citizens in the state of Assam with citizens fearing tens of thousands of Bengali-origin Muslims will be excluded.

 

The updating of the National Register of Citizens is part of a campaign to identify undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh.

 

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal says Indian citizens whose names are not included in the list will get adequate opportunities to file claims and objections pertaining to their rights.

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.