Thirteen anti-government protesters were killed on Sunday by Iraqi security forces in one of the “worst” days of clashes in the country’s south, as protests swept through the oil-rich area. 

Demonstrators are outraged by rampant government corruption and poor services and showed their anger by burning tires and blocking main-road arteries.

Security forces used live fire and tear gas to disperse the protesters. 

The watch towers, double-locked doors and video surveillance in the Chinese camps are there "to prevent escapes".

Uighurs and other minorities held inside are scored on how well they speak the dominant Mandarin language and follow strict rules on everything down to bathing and using the toilet, scores that determine if they can leave.

"Manner education" is mandatory, but "vocational skills improvement" is offered only after a year in the camps.

The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services or QFES authorities warned Biboohra residents in north Queensland to evacuate with caution from their properties,  as the bushfire began to travel east on Sunday. 

Residents were urged to have their bushfire survival plans ready as the area would be affected by the smoke- with power, water and mobile phone services potentially lost as firefighting crews worked to contain the fires.

The Brisbane City Council has revealed the designs of the new Metro vehicles which will be entirely electric. 

Brisbane-based supplier Volgren and electric-vehicle producer Hess will deliver the 60 bi-articulated vehicles that can carry 150 passengers each, after they were awarded the contract last week following a competitive tender. 

Traffic delays and congestion on busy road networks across Sydney's CBD are predicted to significantly affect the opening and performance of the new $2.9 billion light rail train line running through the central city.

Internal documents from New South Wales' transport agency disclosed complications in running 67-metre public transport vehicles across a busy area every four minutes.

Queensland employers are reportedly lagging behind the nation on most key gender equality indicators, with the gender pay gap worse than the national average. 

New data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency reveals QUEENSLAND’S gender pay gap is the worst in the country at 23.4 per cent, compared with the Australian average of 20.8 per cent.

Queensland is five per cent behind the national average for workplaces with gender equality policies or strategies at 70.1 per cent of workplaces. 

Almost 3 million Hong Kong residents recently queued to vote in a local election, that is being seen as a test of public opinion for the pro-Beijing government, after almost six-months of violent protest.

Pro-democracy candidates won at least 207 seats compared to the 18 seats taken by the pro-establishment camp.

Billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the world's richest men, has formally launched his bid for president of the United States. 

Ending weeks of speculation, the 77-year-old former Republican announced his candidacy for the Democrats in a written statement posted on a campaign website, describing himself as uniquely positioned to defeat President Donald Trump.

Fellow Democratic candidates have accused Bloomberg of trying to "buy" the election.