1. The United Nations has stated that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may be added to a list of endangered world heritage sites. UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee is set to meet next month, and will argue that the reef is in immediate danger “in the absence of a firm and demonstrable commitment” from government to protect the site.
2. Two members of the ‘Bali Nine’ drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, have spent seven years on death row in Indonesia – and now imminently face a firing squad. News Ltd reports that Indonesia has recently restarted executions.
3. Schools in Queensland have devised a plan to separate students who have been suspended multiple times from other students, by teaching them in independent “behavioural hubs” – that will, in some cases, be fenced off from the rest of the school by 2 metre high security fences. News Ltd reports that Ipswich East State School has begun work on one of these “positive learning centres”.
4. A Conservative MP in the UK, Nigel Evans, has been arrested on the suspicion of sexual assault and rape. He is being questioned in regards to two alleged attacks on young men in their 20s. Evans is the deputy speaker in the House of Commons.
5. Activists working in the area have reported that hundreds of Sunni Muslims in Syria have fled their homes, after 62 people were killed by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad. Burned corpses were allegedly left in the streets.
6. A record number of children have arrived as asylum seekers in Australia this financial year. News Ltd reports that approximately 3000 children have arrived this year, compared to 1909 last year.
Top Comments
Ahh UNESCO another big windbag organization I say keep out of our business and let the Aboriginal Rangers look after the GBR at least they know what they are doing.
I hope the Great Barrier Reef is listed as an endangered world heritage site. I believe it may be the only way to save it from the slow death it is facing now.