1. Billionaire and recently appointed MP Clive Palmer has announced that he plans to launch a Senate Recount in Western Australia. Palmer, the current member for Fairfax, has said that he will take the matter to the High Court if necessary. The news comes after the Australian Electoral Commission declared that the Australian Sports Party’s Wayne Dropulich and the Greens’ Scott Ludlum had won the final Senate positions, despite there being 1375 votes still missing.
2. Baby slings are being investigated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission after a Queensland coroner linked the devices to the deaths of two infants. A new safety awareness campaign will notify parents of the risks slings can present, with the ACCC hoping to take the plan to an international level, working with sling manufacturers to increase safety. In March this year, a Brisbane infant was injured in a sling and died 5 days later. Similarly, in 2010, a two-day-old infant suffocated to death in a baby sling.
3. The Dalai Lama’s voice risks being silenced in his home country of Tibet, as Chinese officials have revealed they plan on tightening media and internet controls in the region. According Fairfax, the Communist Party of China aims to “ensure that the voices of hostile forces and the Dalai group are not seen or heard.” The Dalai Lama, who has been in exile since 1959, has not yet commented on the situation.
4. The gunman suspected of opening fire at Los Angeles International Airport yesterday has been charged with murdering a security officer, and could receive the death penalty for his actions. The incident occurred at 9:20am in Terminal 3 of LAX. The man reportedly opened his bag, pulled out an assault rifle and began open fire. Shots were fired in both the open terminal area and the terminal’s screening area before the man was taken into custody by airport police.
5. The Pakistani Taliban have selected Khan Said Sajna as their new leader after former leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed by US Drones.
6. Prisoners in Britain will no longer be able to watch daytime TV under a tightening of prison regulations to be brought into effect this weekend across England and Wales. The justice secretary, Chris Grayling, has justified the move to prevent prisoners from getting their daily dose of Eastenders by saying that the middle of the day should be used to complete “purposeful activities.”
Top Comments
I saw a father carrying a very young baby in one of those slings recently, and it worried me. He was blocking the child's airways intermittently without really paying attention. Some common sense by parents wouldn't go astray. I bought 3 different slings and ended up not using any of them because I was concerned about my children's safety.
My heart goes out to those parents. I hope it never happens again.
It's no surprise about the baby slings. I've always thought they looked dreadfully uncomfortable for the baby and not allowing much fresh air to circulate when they cocooned in one up against a parents body.