Three primary school teachers are being held by bandits in Nigeria’s Kaduna state in yet another attack on schools.

The abductions are the fifth mass school abduction since December, with criminals preying on schoolchildren and teachers as easy targets to be held for ransom.

At least $18 million has been paid in ransom in attacks such as these over the last decade in Nigeria, incentivising the country’s criminals to take advantage of the trend.

Queensland has recorded 6 new Coronavirus cases in hotel quarantine overnight. Authorities have confirmed the virus is again spreading in the Hotel Grand Chancellor. 106 guests who left the Grand Chancellor Hotel since March 6 have been told to self-isolate. Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk says the state will know by lunchtime today whether or not the virus has entered the community. 

RACQ is calling for a discount on the Go Between Bridge as traffic across the William Jolly Bridge increased by an average of 5 thousand cars per day over the past few months. The increase is a result of the Victoria Bridge being made a traffic-free zone in January this year as part of a Brisbane City Council green initiative. Council data shows that motorists avoid the Go Between Bridge because of its toll, which has led to the congestion on the William Jolly Bridge.

A 62 hectare block of land in Birkdale is set to be turned into a major community precinct as Redland City Council asks residents for input on the site. The land on Old Cleveland Road holds heritage listed buildings dating back to World War 2 and was previously owned by the Federal Government. Karen Williams, Redland Mayor says she has been lobbying to buy the land for a decade. 

In the last year women with disability were more than twice as likely to report sexual violence compared to women without disability. Little to no data has been collected on Issues of neglect and exploitation until now. These statistics come from the ‘Nature and extent of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation against people with disability in Australia’ report published today. 64% of people with disability report experiencing various types of violence over their lifetime compared to 45% of people without disability.

The ACT Ombudsman has recommended cultural training and increased community consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a report released today. The Ombudsman investigation follows a number of complaints made by Indigenous Australians about treatment from ACT police, as well as their continued over-representation in Australia’s prison system. While making recommendations regarding overall police culture towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the report did not consider interaction at an individual level, meaning specific instances of police brutality wer

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine is in detention again after being arrested while leading a protest last night. Wine has only been free for a short while after being arrested during the January presidential election which he has denounced as being illegitimate. Long-time president Yoweri Museveni won the January elections amid accusations of voter fraud, intimidation and suppression of opposition, extending his 35 year regime for another 5 years.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has suggested that Australia assist Papua New Guinea with its COVID-19 vaccine roll-out amid a recent virus outbreak. Palaszczuk says the assistance would not only help to prevent a potentially devastating outbreak in the Torres Strait Islands, but also protect mainland Queenslanders as many Papuans fly in and out of mining jobs in North Queensland. The Queensland government is prioritising vaccination in the Torres Strait Islands, citing low health outcomes in the region, with the first vaccines expected to be administered in the Torres Strait this weekend.