Small land causing big halt for Brisbane Metro plans

A small block of land in South Brisbane could prevent the $944 million Brisbane Metro project.

Brisbane City Council released a design for the proposed Metro station at the Cultural Centre, however it included a 16,000 square metre parcel of land owned by the State government and not the local council.

The local council requested the land be given to Brisbane in September 2017, but it has still not been accepted.

Local Anzac Day Service listings

Events and services will be held across the region Wednesday as Queenslanders gather to commemorate ANZAC day.

The city dawn service will begin by 4.30am at the Shrine of remembrance at Anzac Square, Adelaide street, and the Parade will begin at 10am with the best vantage point being along Adelaide Street.

Services will also take place all over Brisbane. To find one near you, you can find a list of RSL Queensland Sub branches online.

Australian Government grants $6 million to Chinese gas company

The Australian Government has granted $6 million to a Chinese gas company with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The money was granted to Westside Corporation as part of the Gas Acceleration Program, which is meant to develop Australian domestic gas supplies.

Peter Jennings, executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said there should be concern about the links between Westside’s parent company and the Chinese Government.

Finland concludes trial of basic income

Finland has ended its two year trial of basic income, where 2000 unemployed people were paid €560 per month, the equivalent of roughly 900 Australian dollars, with no requirement to either seek or accept employment.

The trial, which aimed to examine if a basic income would reduce anxiety amongst the unemployed and simplify the welfare system, will not be extended and new legislation has been added to make some unemployment benefits contingent on the recipient undergoing some level of training or work.

Banking royal commission wraps up investigation into inappropriate advice

The banking royal commission has finished its investigation into inappropriate advice and will today begin reviewing improper conduct by financial advisers, including the forging of signatures.

Malcolm Turnbull publicly acknowledged that it had been a mistake to oppose the Banking Royal Commission, which he voted against 26 times and had instructed his party to do the same.

There is now contention over whether the banking sector deserves the tax-cut they were on track to receive.

Archaeologists discover artifacts from 3,000 year old society in Vietnam

Archaeologists have discovered artifacts in Vietnam of a mysterious society from around 3,000 years ago.

The Vietnam Maritime Archaeology Project discovered the site by chance after one of the team members had a flat tyre.

Project manager Bob Sheppard said the biggest question raised by the discovery is what happened to this society.

Local warning: Blue-ringed Octopus may be swimming around

A man has been airlifted from Lady Musgrave Island to Rockhampton hospital on Sunday afternoon after being stung by a suspected blue-ringed octopus.

 

This incident is promoting reminders for beachwalkers on the coast to watch out for deadly octopus and squid.

 

The Blue-ringed Octopus is common to Australian coastal regions and is one of the world’s most venomous animals.

 

Airstrike On Wedding Party

20 people have died in Northern Yemen after an airstrike hit a wedding party, health officials say it was mostly women and children that were killed, including the bride.

 

This is the third air strike since the weekend perpetrated by the Saudi-led coalition, as part of the coalition’s war on Shia rebels in Yemen.

 

Independent monitors say that over a third of the coalition’s 16,847 air-strikes since the start of the war have hit non-military targets including weddings, markets, hospitals and schools.