Media Bargaining Code expected to hit the Senate
World first laws that would force Google and Facebook to pay media organisations for their content are set to be legislated in the coming weeks.
Representatives from Google and Facebook have stated the proposed bill could make operations in Australia financially unviable.
With Facebook saying they will have no option but to outright remove the sharing of news from its platform in Australia.
The news media bargaining code could be debated in the Senate as early as this Tuesday.
Community to hold public vigil for 80 detained refugees
The community is set to organise outside the Kangaroo Point Central Hotel in support of the refugee men indefinitely detained there.
About 80 asylum seekers and refugees in need of medical treatment have been detained at the hotel, which is being used as an alternative place of detention.
Faith non-profit Love Makes A Way will hold a public vigil on Walmsley and Main St, Kangaroo Point from 4:30pm, this Sunday 13th.
12th Feb 8am Zedlines
Your 8am Zedlines with Beth & Tina.
Image: Creative Commons/Highway Image Patrol
Calls to extend JobKeeper Subsidy as tourism industry continues to stall
Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese is calling for the Government to give more assistance to industries still struggling from the COVID pandemic.
Mr Albanese is currently on tour in Queensland, and says the ending of JobKeeper on March 28th will largely impact the still struggling Tourism sector.
Queensland's tourism industry generates roughly twenty eight billion dollars annually for the state, employing 234,000 Queenslanders.
Queensland Ambulance wait times fail to improve
Queenslanders are waiting an average of more than eighteen minutes for ambulance services, two minutes higher than targets set by the Government in 2014.
Minister for Health Yvette D’Ath says the state has seen a 24% increase in ambulance call-outs since 2014, with rapid population growth putting pressure on health services.
"Against this increasing demand, QAS Code 1 response times are better than comparable jurisdictions like New South Wales and Victoria," said Ms D'Ath.
Iran produces uranium metal in breach of nuclear deal
Iran has produced uranium metal in a new breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.
International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors verified the existence of 3.6 grams of the substance at a facility in Isfahan last week.
Iran has insisted the uranium is for producing fuel for a research reactor, but has defied numerous commitments of the nuclear deal over the past two years.
India and China disengage from Himalayan border dispute
India and China have pulled back troops from part of their disputed Himalayan border in a breakthrough agreement.
Indian and Chinese troops had been clashing on the north and south shores of Pangong Tso lake, which lies in territory claimed by both sides.
“We have been able to reach an agreement on disengagement in the north and south bank of the Pangong Lake,” said India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Medical research participants’ data breached
An Australian medical research institute in Herston is the latest victim of the Accellion data breach.
4% of QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute participant data held on the file-sharing system was accessed by an unknown party.
“We don’t believe that any of the information in Accellion could be used to identify any of these participants, but nonetheless, I want to apologise sincerely that some of their de-identified information could potentially have been accessed,” said Director and CEO Professor Fabienne Mackay.
Melbourne COVID cluster grows to 13
The Melbourne COVID cluster has grown to 13 cases, with a Melbourne Airport cafe added to a list of exposure sites.
So far, 6 of the 13 cases have been confirmed as highly contagious UK strain.
Travellers from Victoria into Queensland will need a border pass from 1am Saturday to confirm they have not visited a hotspot.
“We don’t anticipate that anyone who has been in those locations of interest would travel to Queensland but it’s just an added assurance,” said Chief Health Officer Sonya Bennett.
Norfolk Island residents call for representation in QLD Parliament
Norfolk island residents are calling for representation in Queensland Parliament as the State looks likely to begin providing health and education services to the Island.
Queensland has been in talks with the Federal government over a year $192 million deal over the management of the Island after New South Wales announced it will not be renewing their six year long management deal with the Island.
Norfolk Island has fallen under New South Wales jurisdiction since 2016 after the removal of the island's independent government by the Commonwealth.