Indian hospitals running out of oxygen
Six hospitals in India’s capital Delhi have completely run out of oxygen, and more said they only have a few hours of oxygen supply left, as a second wave of COVID grips the capital.
More than 99% of intensive care beds are full, with a recorded confirmation of 16 000 000 infections.
Queensland police to review handling of domestic violence cases
A quick content warning: this story mentions domestic violence.
Assistant Police Commissioner Brian Codd said yesterday Queensland Police would be reviewing its handling of domestic violence cases in the wake of the Kelly Wilkinson murder case.
Rat damage costing car owners thousands
A Holland Park resident, Tanya Wright, said she had paid thousands of dollars in damage after her car engine’s wiring was almost entirely stripped by rats.
Wright said her insurance policy did not cover rat damage.
She urges people to double check their insurance policy to avoid a steep bill.
Queensland Veterans Council to maintain ANZAC Square
The Queensland government will take over from Brisbane City Council in overseeing ANZAC Square from July next year.
The Queensland Veterans Council will be responsible for the square’s maintenance.
The Veterans Council will also advise the government on veterans issues, and take on responsibility for administering payments to organisations supporting veterans through the ANZAC day trust.
EU confirms it will not block shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines to Papua New Guinea
The European Union has assured the Australian Government it will not block an AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Papua New Guinea.
It comes after the EU blocked a shipment of 250,000 vaccines to Australia in March.
Victoria considering road usage fees for electric and hybrid vehicles
25 organisations including Uber, Volkswagen, and Environment Victoria have called on Victorian MPs to oppose a proposal that would introduce road usage fees for electric and hybrid vehicles.
The proposal would have electric car users paying 2.5c per kilometre while hybrid vehicles would pay 2c per kilometre.
Calls for inquiry into child protection system
The ACT Barnardos Foster Mother of the Year, Maria Worner, has called for an ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry into the child protection system.
Worner says inexperienced caseworkers are overloaded with cases.
Fire departments in Gold Coast hinterland to trial Indigenous fire-control practices
Gold Coast hinterland fire departments are considering indigenous fire management techniques as an alternative to standard hazard-reduction burns.
The initiative follows a recent incident in which a hazard-reduction burn spiralled out of control.
UQ develops new aluminium-ion battery
Researchers from the University of Queensland have developed an aluminium ion battery highly competitive with the lithium ion battery, which is the current leader in commercial use.
UQ’s battery can charge up to 70 times faster, can run for triple the length of time on one charge, and is more sustainable to develop and recycle.