10am Zedlines - Tuesday, June 5
Your 10am Zedlines with Natalie and Patrick. Photo source: Flickr
Saudi Arabia is preparing to lift the ban on female drivers on June 24.
10 women received their driving licenses in Saudi Arabia on Monday. It is currently the only country where women are not allowed to drive.
The move is a part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s liberalisation of the petro-state.
Jordan's Prime Minister resigns following protests
The Prime Minister of Jordan, Hani Mulki, resigned yesterday in the wake of anti-government protesters demanding his resignation.
The public anger follows the government’s increase of general sales tax and the abolition of bread subsidiaries driven by the International Monetary Fund.
The protests have been the largest in the nation since 2011, and 60 people have reportedly been detained.
Proposed 'fast train' network planned for Sydney
A proposed fast train network connecting greater Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle creating a ‘mega-region’ could slash commuters travel time by half.
The report states that the fast train network could also provide 10,000 new jobs for Sydney.
The planned network will connect commuters to Western Sydney from Newcastle, the Central Coast and Wollongong in less than one hour, potentially reaching speeds of 200 kilometres per hour.
Geelong school calls to reduce intergenerational disadvantage
Geelong Northern Bay College is calling on its local community to sponsor a student, providing them with financial support in a plan to reduce intergenerational disadvantage in Geelong's northern suburbs.
The college principal, Fred Clarke, said statistics show that the suburb is the third most disadvantaged in the state of Victoria.
The college hopes the financial assistance will enable students to give up frequent part-time work, pay for desks and internet connection, as well as school supplies in a bid to ‘break the cycle’.
7 Eleven manger fined $200,000 for underpaying staff
Operators of a 7-Eleven service station in East Brisbane have been fined over $200,000 for underpaying staff and falsifying records.
The manager of the station has admitted to paying staff as little as $14.14 an hour and falsifying records provided to the Fair Work Ombudsman and the 7 Eleven head office.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun 10 legal proceedings against 7-Eleven franchisees since 2010.
Flight VA474 circled Brisbane for 3 hours after engineering issue
A plane bound for Perth circled the Brisbane region for over three hours last night, due to a ruptured tyre.
Flight VA474 departed Brisbane Airport at 9pm, but after a tyre burst on take-off, the craft circled around Brisbane until it was safe to land.
The flight was cancelled and all passengers were provided with overnight accommodation and alternative flight services.
An official statement from Virgin Australia has apologised to those inconvenienced by the ‘engineering issue.’
9am Zedlines - Tuesday, June 5
Your 9am Zedlines with Vivienne & Kate. Photo source: Flickr
The White House has announced President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will meet at a summit in Singapore later this month.
The US President initially cancelled plans for a summit after ‘open hostility’ from North Korea, but after meeting with an envoy from Pyongyang, new plans were made.
The summit will discuss denuclearisation and economic sanctions and will mark the first meeting between a North Korean leader and a serving US President.
QANTAS to refer to Taiwan as a territory of China, following pressure from Beijing
QANTAS has announced that they will be referring to Taiwan as a territory of China and not an independent nation, following pressure from Beijing.
QANTAS chief executive Alan Joyce said that they plan to comply with the Chinese aviation regulator’s demand to remove references to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as independent countries.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop is against the decision, saying private companies should be free to conduct their usual business operations free from the political pressure of governments.
Port Stephen beaches hit with waves of rubbish
A beach community in New South Wales is still cleaning up the rubbish caused by a Liberian freight ship on Friday night.
Port Stephen locals describe the clean-up as overwhelming, as morning tides keep washing more waves of rubbish to the shore.
The ship was heading from Taiwan to Sydney when rough seas knocked off 83 shipping containers 30 km away from Port Stephen.
Uniting Church joins national redress scheme
The Uniting Church plans to join the national redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse.
The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, has apologised to victims abused in church institutions.
The Western Australia Synod says they will also participate in the redress scheme, on the condition that the Western Australian government also engages with the program.