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.
Brisbane City Council takes action against feral deer
The Brisbane City Council has introduced high pitched sonar signals as a way of keeping hundreds of feral deer away from traffic.
The virtual fence covers a 940-metre stretch of Rafting Ground Road in Brookfield, installed every 25 metres.
Since July 2016, the Brisbane City Council has received 140 reports of feral deer sightings in Brisbane's Western suburbs and has captured roughly 180 deer in the same period
Ipswich City Council to ban single-use plastics
Ipswich City Council is to follow Brisbane City Councils example in the ban of plastic items.
The council will decide on the new policy in July and if passed, helium balloons, single-use straws and water bottles will be banned from council-sponsored events.
Brisbane City Council had introduced the same ban last month, proving to be effective.
The President of Springfield Lakes Nature Care, Luise Manning, stated that it is encouraging to see the environmental movement catch on.
8am Zedlines - Tuesday, June 5
Your 8am Zedlines with Natalie & Patrick. Image credits: Wikipedia
Barnaby Joyce is being urged by his colleagues in the National Party of Australia to provide clarity about his political future in the Federal Parliament.
His colleagues are calling for a ‘fresh start’ for the party and for Joyce to bow out prior to next years Federal election.
This followed his television interview with Vikki Campion on Sunday, which party members criticised for being ‘distracting.’
Kirra Beach Caravan Park residents face eviction
The Gold Coast City Council has warned the permanent residents of the Kirra Beach Caravan Park they would have to move out to make room for more tourists.
However, Queensland Housing Minister Mick de Brenni is not convinced, stating that there is actually more income generated from the permanent residents than there is from the peak holiday periods.
Suspicions circulating the council’s motivation towards the eviction include future development plans for the park.
Brisbane’s $100 million flood mitigation budget to include robot
$100 million will be allocated in the Brisbane City Council’s 2018-19 budget for flood mitigation services and resilience measures.
These services will include flood-resilience incentive programs, stormwater drainage pipes and a robotic dredging device.
The robot would be unique in Australia and custom-built to move through Brisbane’s drainage network while completely submerged.