A study in the US has found that drinking excessive amounts of fruit juice and other sugary beverages could increase the risk of premature death by as much as 42 per cent.

Researchers found that although the sugars in fruit juices are naturally occurring, they had a similar impact on health as sugars in soft drinks and other sweetened beverages.

Professor Jean Welsh, who co-authored the study, said sugary drinks increase the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes and their consumption should be limited.

A Northern Territory cattle property has been sold for $20 million to Malaysia’s Sarawak Economic Development Corporation.

The 41,500 hectare property, previously used as a safari lodge, is able to background between 5000 and 8000 cattle and the new Malaysian owners intend to use the property to fatten their cattle from Rosewood Station.

Industry figures indicate the buyer will struggle to profit from this relatively small piece of land, having purchased it for 20 million dollars, despite it selling for 2.8 million in 2001.

Malaysia’s environment minister, Yeo Bee Yin, says the country will be sending low quality, non-recyclable plastic waste back to its country of origin.

Last year, Malaysia became the leading alternative destination for non-recyclable plastic scrap, following China’s banned import of such waste.

Mrs Yeo says the first five containers of contaminated plastic waste smuggled into Malaysia have been sent back to Spain.
 

Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill has denied accusations he holds Australian citizenship, which would make him ineligible to sit in the country’s parliament.

Opposition MP Bryan Kramer said on social media Mr O’Neill is a dual citizen through his Australian-born father and has vowed to take the matter to court to prove his claims, which Mr O’Neill has described as ‘fake news’.  

PNG’s Attorney General has ordered a review of the citizenship status of all the country’s 111 MPs following the accusations.
 

Liberal candidate for Chisholm Gladys Liu has become the first female Chinese-Australian elected to the lower house.

Liu defeated Labor’s Jennifer Yang in a surprise victory, securing majority government for Scott Morrison and the coalition.

The result came after a contentious campaign in which both Labor and the Liberals targeted Chinese-Australian voters in the seat using social media app WeChat.

Brisbane’s Labor Councillors have called for Calamvale ward councillor Angela Owen to repay any council wages she received during her unsuccessful running for the federal seat of Moreton.

Councillor Owen took a leave of absence from council after being endorsed by the LNP to run against current Moreton MP Graham Perrett.

Councillor Owen says she was “open, and transparent” about her intentions to take leave, and still fulfilled council commitments.