India’s Save the Children CEO, Thomas Chandy, says over seventeen million children are in need of humanitarian assistance and millions of families have lost their only source of income.
Save the Children’s Country Director in Bangladesh, Mark Pierce, says as long as it’s still monsoon season in the south-east Asia region more heavy rains and flash floods can still strike unexpectedly.
Safety investigation into Brisbane train lines
A safety investigation is underway in Brisbane train stations after a train ran through a red signal on Tuesday.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has launched an investigation into the incident with a spokesperson saying a “claw lock” on a set of points, which control when trains change tracks, was damaged in the incident.
The ATSB spokesman expected the investigation to take several months, saying any safety issues identified before the investigation finished would be immediately passed on to those involved.Speaker warns MPs about bringing guests into Parliament
The Queensland Parliamentary Speaker has warned MPs about guests after a recent incident at Parliament.
Speaker Peter Wellington has issued a stern warning to Queensland politicians following accusations an MP invited a guest who "posed a risk" into the parliamentary precinct, threatening to ban MPs from inviting guests into Parliament if they broke the rules.Mr Wellington says breaches of security procedures are very grave because of the risk it poses to members and staff.
Clinton Pryor has tense meeting with Malcolm Turnbull after walking across Australia
Indigenous activist Clinton Pryor, who walked more than 5,000km to meet Malcolm Turnbull claims the prime minister “disrespected” him and his entourage of elders in a prickly exchange at federal parliament.
Clinton Pryor accused Turnbull and the Indigenous Affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, of speaking over the top of elders at their meeting in a parliamentary courtyard on Wednesday.
The media release on Pryor’s behalf said he hoped “the prime minister will learn how to listen and engage respectfully with Aboriginal elders before future meetings planned for November 4.”
Plebiscite High Court Challenge
The High Court will decide its’ ruling on the same-sex marriage postal survey today at 2:15pm.
This comes after two days of hearings and advocates calling for a free vote in Parliament rather than spending $122 million for the postal survey.
If the High Court challenge fails postal vote ballots will continue to be sent out to 15.7 million voters across Australia on September 12.
Hurricane Irma causes devastation in Caribbean and heads to Florida
The most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history has made its first landfall on the islands of the northeast Caribbean.
The eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Barbuda at about 1.47am local time, the National Weather Service said.Residents said over local radio that phone lines had gone down. Heavy rain and howling winds hit the neighbouring island of Antigua, sending debris flying as people huddled in their homes or government shelters.