The government's plans to further tighten the character test to make it easier to deport criminals, even if they haven't served jail time, is likely to deepen a rift between Australia and New Zealand. 

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has already described Australia's deportation policy as "corrosive" after rule changes in 2014 led to a spike in Kiwis being sent back, even if they had lived in Australia for most of their lives. 

Philippines authorities say the outbreak of dengue fever can now be considered a national epidemic, with 98 per cent more cases than this time last year.

The Philippines has recorded 146,062 cases of dengue from January through July this year, with 622 deaths attributed to the disease. 

The declaration was made on Tuesday to improve the response to the outbreak by allowing local governments to draw on a special Quick Response Fund.

US President Donald Trump has imposed sweeping sanctions on the Venezuelan government, freezing its assets in the US and barring transactions with it in the latest attempt by Washington to force President Nicolas Maduro to step down. 

It is the first US asset freeze against an entire government in the western hemisphere in more than 30 years, but stopped short of a full trade embargo of the kind imposed on Cuba by excluding Venezuela’s private sector. 

45 new genetic links to non-melanoma skin cancers have been discovered in a recent study conducted by QIMR Berghofer’s Statistical Genetics group.

The research paves the way for more targeted treatments of these non-melanoma skin cancers by a better understanding of their genetic makeup.

Lead author of the study, Associate Professor Stuart Macgregor, says this greater understanding of the genetics can help personalise predictions regarding skin cancer based not just off what your skin tone is.
 

Activists from the Extinction Rebellion group have vowed to cause further disruption following the arrest of 72 people during protests in Brisbane’s CBD yesterday. 

Extinction Rebellion organiser Laura Lucardie says Tuesday’s protests were “just the beginning”, with more large scale protests planned for October and other instances of direct action expected in the coming weeks.  

LNP Chandler councillor Ryan Murphy has been criticised for spending more than $3000 of ratepayers’ money on a new drone. 

During question time on Tuesday, opposition leader Peter Cumming asked lord mayor Adrian Schrinner whether it is appropriate for councillor Murphy to spend ratepayers’ money on equipment that would be used for his own self-promotion. 

The Western Australian parliament will debate legislation allowing terminally ill people in severe pain and with less than six months to live to seek voluntary assisted dying. 

WA Health Minister Roger Cook says the proposed bill has 102 safeguards in place, and Labor MPs will be given a conscience vote following a debate on the issue scheduled for later this year. 

The Turkish Government has destroyed over 300,000 books in an attempt to remove anything linked to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of instigating a failed military coup in 2016. 

Turkey’s education minister, Ziya Selçuk, says the books were subject to investigation because they were published by companies that were closed by the government following the attempted coup, with books removed from local offices, schools and libraries. 

Indian-administered Kashmir remains locked down a day after it was stripped of a status that gave it significant autonomy from the rest of India, including its own constitution, flag and the freedom to make laws. 

Telephone networks and the internet, which were cut off on Sunday evening, are yet to be restored and tens of thousands of troops are patrolling the streets amid concerns the decision to revoke autonomy could trigger large-scale protests in the region. .