Anger Over Electric Bus Outsourcing

Brisbane City Council’s decision to source they city’s first electric busses from Chinese bus manufacturer Yutong has been labelled ‘a slap in the face’ to Brisbane workers by the council opposition.

 

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union assistant state secretary Bill Thanas said the QLD economy suffered when the Council didn’t give the job to Volgren which had been building the council’s diesel busses since 2008.

Study Finds Rise in ATSI Discrimination

A study conducted by Monash University has found that discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people has risen dramatically.

 

The study, conducted on behalf of ‘Inclusive Australia’, found the percentage of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people who reported experiencing at least one form of major discrimination increased from 29% in 2019 to almost 50% in 2020.

 

Tremors Hinder Volcano Recovery in DRC

Continuing tremors in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s sixth largest city Goma are complicating recovery efforts following a large volcanic eruption over the weekend.

 

Mount Nyiragongo, one of the world’s most active and dangerous volcanoes, sent a half-mile wide stream of lava towards Goma, destroying several villages and displacing thousands.

 

Iran Extends Deal with Nuclear Watchdog

Iran will extend its agreement with the global nuclear watchdog, allowing negotiators more time to agree on terms for Iran’s return to its 2015 nuclear deal with a coalition of Western powers.

 

Iran granted the International Atomic Energy Agency a one-month extension to keep its monitoring equipment in Iranian nuclear facilities, however Iran will keep the tapes until a return to the deal is agreed.

 

New UQ Coral Bleaching Satellite System

A world-first satellite monitoring system, developed with Queensland and international scientists, will begin scanning the world’s oceans to spot coral bleaching in real time. 

 

The satellite imagery will allow scientists to detect differences in reef brightness allowing organisations to see where coral bleaching is taking place.