Northside Help Return Travellers

A Brisbane family returning empty-handed from lockdown in Europe have furnished their whole house thanks to a group of Facebook donors.

 

The Mirto family had to flee their home in Italy in order to escape the country’s COVID-19 crisis, and arrived in Australia to an empty house, carrying nothing but their suitcases.

 

Erdogan Summons US Ambassador in Diplomatic Spat

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has summoned the US’ ambassador to Turkey on Sunday over Washington’s perceived failure to condemn the killing of thirteen kidnapped soldiers in Iraq.

 

Erdogan blames the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party for the executions and says the US State Department’s statement that it would wait for confirmation of Kurdish guilt constitutes US support for the group.

 

Sahel Leaders Meet for French Withdrawal

Leaders from five countries in Africa’s Sahel region are meeting with French president Emmanuel Macron to negotiate a French military withdrawal from the region.

 

The French army established Operation Barkhane to combat jihadist groups in the region, but it has grown increasingly unpopular both in France and the Sahel.

 

QLD Gov Holds Cabinet Meeting at Defence Contractor

The Queensland Government is holding a cabinet meeting today at the defence contractor Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Centre in Ipswich in a bid to secure a $27 billion contract with the company.

 

The state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rheinmetall for the construction of 450 infantry vehicles for the Australian Army yesterday.