Musical Instruments sent to Manus and Nauru
Australian volunteers have delivered around 100 musical instruments to refugees residing on Manus Island and Nauru in hopes of improving the quality of life.
Nationwide Recycling Crisis
Following China’s recent crackdown on contaminated recyclable waste, piles of reusable trash are growing across the country.
Story Bridge Temporary Closure
Brisbane’s Story Bridge will be temporarily closed this weekend, with repairs beginning 9PM Friday night and ending 5AM on Monday morning.
New changes making it harder for new migrants to sponsor their parents visas.
Jack investigates the changes to the assurance of support scheme with Dr. Alia Imtoual of The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia.
Suicide Swans: la Jungla
- la Jungla is a quote from Townes Van Zandt, his description of a drug-addled, booze-fuelled trip south of the border; it’s Spanish for -you guessed it- the jungle. Kyle Jenkins of Suicide Swans takes it more generally as a symbol of all the many ways a person can be lost. It’s both a fitting and yet a funny name for the band’s latest full-length. Fitting because the record’s full of that archetypal, broken country sadness and also a roaring richness, really orchestrating a sensation of rising confusion and wild-eyed insanity.
Okkervil River: Into The Rainbow Rain
- Tracheotomies. Not the sort of subject matter you find in most songs, but then again, most songwriters aren’t Will Sheff. So begins Into the Rainbow Rain, the ninth album by venerable indie rockers Okkervil River. The album is an upbeat, jaunty affair with mellifluous melodies that would go well with a summer breeze and an icy drink. That’s not to say that it is without dark moments and lyrics (it isn’t), but by Okkervil River standards, this is joyous as an album gets.
11am Zedlines
This is Kelseigh and Justin with your 11am Zedlines.
Image Source: Flickr
Trump’s ambassador switch threatens to alienate Australia and anger China
US President Donald Trump has delayed the confirmation hearing of Admiral Harry Harris as Australian ambassador just hours before it was scheduled.
Harris’s nomination who is a highly decorated Naval commander was seen as a sign of the strength of the US-Australia relationship.
However it now appears likely Harris will be parachuted into the role of US envoy to South Korea disappointing Australia who has been without a US ambassador since Trump’s election in 2016.
Indigenous Brazilians rally for land rights protection
More than 3000 indigenous Brazilians have descended on the capital Brasilia for the annual “Free Land Camp” to denounce an alleged “unprecedented” rollback of indigenous rights in the country.
Indigenous rights to traditional lands are enshrined in the constitution, however in practice their rights are often curtailed by “loggers, land grabbers and wildcat miners.”
Al Jazeera last week reported killings over land and resources had peaked to their highest number since 2003, leading the UN Environmental Office to yesterday condemn the violence.
Greens unveil recycling policy
The Greens have released a policy platform addressing the recent collapse of Australia’s recycling industry which increases pressure on the Federal Government to take leadership on the issue.
The Greens proposal includes enhanced technology and sorting processes at recycling plants, the phase out of single-use plastics, community grants targeted at recycling, and a national mandatory product stewardship scheme encouraging the production of recyclable goods.