Senator Fraser Anning formally confirmed he will be sitting as an independent in the federal senate.

Senator Anning who ran third on the Queensland ticket replaced Malcolm Roberts as he was disqualified due to holding dual citizenship.

In a letter to Senate President Steven Parry, Senator Anning said he could not comply with One Nation’s conditions and will sit as an independent to best represent rural Queensland’s interests.

Turkish ground forces pushed into the Afrin province of northern Syria as part of “Operation Olive Branch” after launching artillery and air strikes on the Kurdish militia located near the Turkish border.

The Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, which was classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, said that it attempted to repel the Turkish forces and their allies.

American and New Zealand collaboration company, Rocket Lab, successfully launched 3 satellites into orbit from their launchpad in the Mahia Peninsula today.

Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker said in the modern day space era it was no longer necessary to be a big government agency with a huge bankroll to pull off such a launch.

Designed for tracking shipping, weather and imaging, the 3 satellites are just the start as Rocket Lab aims to launch a rocket every week at a cost of $US4.9 million.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions used a recent report by Oxfam International on growing wealth inequality to call for urgent pay rises.

According to ACTU the report showed that Australia’s wealth inequality was amongst the worst in the world.

ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus said that because workers rights no longer balance the power of employers, there now exists a rising and crippling inequality.

The former Holden factory in South Australia has been eyed off by  British billionaire and GFG Alliance boss, Sanjeev Gupta, as a potential site to build electric cars.

South Australian newspaper, The Advertiser, alleged that Mr Gupta approached General Motors Holden to buy assets from the closed factory.

According to the exclusive published this morning, the newspaper obtained a letter written by South Australian Treasurer, Tom Koutsantonis, in which he asked General Motors Holden to support Gupta’s plan.

Two separate fires destroyed an inner-city car dealership and abandoned retirement village in Brisbane over the weekend.

Up to 25 firefighters battled a blaze at a used car business on Lutwyche Road early Saturday morning, closing surrounding streets as they controlled the fire and investigated the scene.

Across the river, in Carina Heights, an abandoned retirement village also went up in flames, the blaze leaving extensive damage and ‘only a few sheds out the back’ according to a Queensland Fire and Emergency Service spokeswoman.

Fuel prices in Brisbane have averaged $1.50 per litre today, as part of a rise of around 20 cents over the last week.

RACQ spokeswoman, Renee Smith, has advised motorists to boycott the big fuel retailers when prices are unreasonable, claiming they are taking advantage of the back to school rush.

Ms Smith has also stated that vehicle owners should support cheaper service stations where they can, and wait for prices to drop.

Humanitarian conditions across Bangladesh refugee camps hosting people from Rohingya have raised alarm bells, according to UN officials.

People fleeing the violence of a brutal Myanmar military crackdown in Rohingya are set to face Bangladesh’s monsoon season, officials said the cramped camps may see a huge number of casualties from landslides and diseases.

More than 600,000 refugees were forced to flee Rohingya from a systematic campaign of mass killings, rape and arson, a situation described by the UN as a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.