9am Zedlines
This has been Natalie and Nic with your 9am Zedlines.
Image source: Wikipedia
More than 26,000 Hudaida residents have fled fighting along the western coast of Yemen, as fighting with Houthi rebels continues.
The number is expected to increase dramatically, the battle launched six days ago with the region already experiencing a cholera epidemic.
Joint military exercise postponed for South Korea and United States
The United States and South Korea have agreed to put a halt on a joint military exercise scheduled for August.
Critics have hit out at the decision, warning it could erode of readiness of US troops and lower the effectiveness of the US-Korea military alliance.
No decision has been made on the future of further joint drills, with consultation between countries expected.
Senate votes in favour of 'tampon tax' abolition
The Senate has voted in favour of a bill to abolish the goods and services tax on sanitary products such as pads and tampons.
The bill is not expected to pass in the House of Representatives due to the bill not being favoured by the Coalition.
If the bill passes, the goods and services tax would be removed from sanitary products, which are not considered ‘necessities.’
Queensland 'pro-life' protestors described as 'aggressive'
An evangelical group has stepped up demonstrations outside Brisbane abortion clinics, as the Queensland Government plans to reform abortion laws from 1899 which make abortion a criminal offence.
The presence of the protestors has been described as ‘aggressive’ and ‘hostile’ by witnesses.
In response to the protests, pro-choice volunteers work to escort patients into the clinics to protect them from harassment.
Indigenous artist set to be Queensland Art Gallery's youngest featured solo artist
Indigenous artist Tony Albert’s work is currently on display at the Queensland Art Gallery, the youngest solo artist to be featured.
The exhibition, titled ‘Visible,’ deals with themes of race, representation and the reappropriation of kitsch Aboriginalia.
Mr Albert says the exhibition is more than an individual achievement, it is also a communal one as his work is highly collaborative.
LNP member calls for action on 4WD hiring scam
A scam involving unreasonably charging 4 Wheel Drive vehicle hirers on the Gold Coast has been brought to the attention of Parliament.
Clayfield LNP member Tim Nicholls has called for action on the scam, describing the company Australian 4WD hire as “a relentless, systemic and well-rehearsed fraud.”
Business owner Vitali Roesch has a history of bankruptcy, as well as 10 claims already made against the business in the Magistrates Court.
Review: The Mathematics of Longing
La Boite Theatre, The Farm and The Uncertainty Principle bring to you The Mathematics of Longing by playwright Suzie Miller. A show that plays with the correlation & collision of science & emotion throughout moments of a human's life.
8am Zedlines
This has been Patrick and Vivienne with your 8am Zedlines.
Photo source: Flickr
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Japanese prefecture of Osaka yesterday morning.
The earthquake left three dead and others trapped under rubble, and 170,000 homes are without power.
No abnormalities have been reported from the region’s nuclear power plants and no tsunami warning has been issued.
Unaccompanied children detained in South Texas holding facility
Reporters who visited a South Texas holding facility for families arrested crossing the southern US border found families separated in a series of metal cages.
Some cages contain up to 20 children inside with food, water, and foil blankets scattered throughout.
The US Border Patrol says that close to 200 people inside the facility are minors unaccompanied by parents.
Former cult leader on trial for unlawful sexual intercourse
A former South Australian cult leader is currently in court after pleading ‘not guilty’ to nine counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.
James Gino Salerno is on trial without a jury at the Adelaide District Court.
The cult was developed by Mr Salerno with the intention of creating ‘the ideal human environment’ and it is currently based in Western Australia.