UN human rights body to hold special session on violence in Gaza

The UN’s top human rights body will hold a special session to discuss “the deteriorating situation in the occupied Palestinian territories” after the killing of 60 Palestinians by Israeli troops at mass border protests on Monday.

The meeting comes as the office of the prosecutor of the world’s permanent war crimes court on Wednesday expressed “grave concern” about escalating violence in Gaza, and said alleged crimes could be investigated.

Two Thirds of World Population to Live in Cities by 2050

According to the latest figures released by the United Nations’ population division, two-thirds of the world's’ population will live in cities by 2050.

At least ten cities are expected to see their populations increase above the 10 million citizen mark, boosting the number of so-call megacities from 33 to 43.

Dehli is expected to surpass Tokyo as the world’s largest met-trop-olis around 2028, and India, along with China and Nigeria, is projected to see the most urban growth during the forecasted period.

Turnbull government is considering sending new migrants to rural towns

The government is considering developing new visa rules that will see migrants encouraged to live in regional Australia.

It comes amid an increasingly heated debate over our growing population, which is expected to rise from 24 million to 36 million by 2046, sparking concern among some critics over the impact on our cities.

New push to create Aboriginal jobs

The New South Wales State Government has set a new goal to ensure goods and services contracts are offered to Aboriginal-owned businesses.

The new Aboriginal Procurement Policy which would see the creation of thousands of Aboriginal jobs in NSW by 2021, will offer 3% of Government goods and services contracts offered to Aboriginal-owned businesses.

The new policy would also see procurement activities valued over $10 million considering employment opportunities for Aboriginal people and using Aboriginal businesses.

 

Government to replace combustible cladding

The Queensland Government is expecting a repair bill in the tens of millions of dollars after a report commissioned in the wake of London’s Grenfell Tower fire last year found 70 government buildings need rectification work to replace flammable cladding.

The report also identified 880 government buildings for further investigation, along with 12,000 privately owned properties, including 1,200 residential structures.

Private owners will be asked to remove cladding if they are found to be a risk.

New QLD political reforms poised to pass

A series of reforms aimed at stamping out corruption within Queensland’s councils is expected to pass state parliament after a third day of debate.

It comes after Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe issued a show-cause notice to Ipswich City Councillors a fortnight ago warming they would be sacked after continued corruption allegations against the council.

It is believed Labor has the numbers to pass the new legislation, part of which would give Mr Hinchliffe more power to dismiss councillors charged with corruption or integrity offences.

Nuns Receive Social Media Guidance

Pope Francis has instructed nuns to use social media with “sobriety and discretion” in a document titled Cor Orans.

This document says it is not only the content of the media, but also the “quantity of the information and type of communication.”

The document specifically refers to “social communications” not specific platform, but Catholic newspaper The Tablet said this meant Facebook and Twitter among other services.

 

Lebanon’s Gay Pride Week Cancelled Halfway Through

Authorities in Lebanon have allegedly forced the cancellation of Beirut Pride halfway through its program, after the country last year became the first Arab nation to hold a gay pride week.

Organiser Hadi Damien says he was detained overnight at a police station after security forces came to an event, where he was forced to sign a pledge cancelling forthcoming Beirut Pride events to secure his release.

Live Export Review Recommends Major Reductions in Sheep Numbers

A Federal Government-ordered review into live sheep exports has recommended a major reduction in animals on ships bound for the Middle East during the hottest parts of the year.

The review was initiated this morning by Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, after footage emerged of almost 2,500 sheep dying from heat stress during a trip to the Middle East.