Civilians reportedly killed by US airstrike in Kabul
Local media in Kabul have reported that nine civilians were killed in a US airstrike on Sunday.
Six children were among those reportedly killed when US forces destroyed car full of explosives.
US officials were still investigating the reports on Tuesday, but have indicated they thought the civilians were killed by secondary explosions and not the airstrike itself.
Arraignments begin as Guantanamo Bay faces closure
Arraignments have begun at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre for an Indonesian and two Malaysian prisoners held without charge for eighteen years in connection with the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings.
A military commission took place over nearly five-hours on Monday inside the US base in Cuba, where the men face charges including murder, conspiracy and terrorism.
The arraignment comes after the Biden administration made clear its intentions to close the detention centre this year, where nearly 800 detainees have passed through the prison since opening in 2002.
Tuesday 8AM Zedlines 31/08/2021
Your 8am Zedlines with Toni, Sarah and Annan
Fraser Island to record license plates
Visitors to Fraser Island will soon have their number plates recorded in an effort to watch for bushfire danger this season.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environment and Science says license plate recognition is only to help monitor visitor patterns and improve emergency response.
However, in Cooloola National Park where a similar system has been rolled out, rangers are patrolling and making random ‘compliance checks’ with number plate cameras.
Volunteer shortages cause immense pressure
Volunteering Australia claims that charities nation-wide are reaching breaking point, with demand nearly doubling in the last three months and volunteer numbers dropping by twelve percent between late 2019 and April 2021.
Charities such as Able Australia provide emergency relief and support for many in Brisbane facing homeless or living with disabilities are struggling to keep up with increased demand during the pandemic as many of its volunteers include senior Australians more vulnerable to the coronavirus.
Property developers lodged complaint with Brisbane City Council
Property developer group Mirvac had lodged a complaint with the Brisbane City Council last week over a proposed small hotel planned for construction on the corner of Roma and Turbot streets.
Mirvac has a thirty two storey mixed use tower stretched across a city block set for submission and blames the adjacent hotel site for ‘gross overdevelopment’.
Mirvac further claims the plans are double the height allowed for the lot size under the CBD neighbourhood plan and its limited separation from adjoining buildings would end up ‘prejudicing’ further work on its site.
Class action lawsuit for inmates in WA
Over two hundred and fifty former inmates have joined a class action lawsuit alleging mistreatment at a Western Australia juvenile detention centre.
Lead lawyer Stewart Levitt says he heard of “horrendous” deprivation of liberty in the centre.
The prison in Canning Vale was also the subject of a report in 2018, urging the Western Australian Government to stop putting children in solitary confinement.
Indigenous place names to be added to licenses
South Australians are now able to add Indigenous place names to their addresses on their driver’s licenses. The initiative created by ServiceSA says it took inspiration from Australian Post, who once included First Nation country names on envelopes and packages.
However the South Australian Native Title Services has raised concerns over the accuracy of native place names and titles.
US ends war in Afghanistan today
The United States says the war in Afghanistan is over after the last military plane containing the remaining US troops departed Hamid Karzai International Airport on 5:29am AEST.
The occasion marks the official end of the twenty year long Afghan war and comes hours before the official deadline set by US President Joe Biden.
Monday 30/08/21 11am Zedlines
Your 11am Zedlines with Shreya and Imogen.
Image credit: Queensland Ballet.