Pope Francis has for the first time publicly acknowledged the scandal of priests and bishops sexually abusing nuns and said he is committed to doing more to fight the problem.

In November, the organisation representing all of the world's female Catholic religious orders, the International Union of Superiors General, publicly denounced the "culture of silence and secrecy" that prevented nuns from speaking out and urged sisters to report abuse to their superiors and police.

The WeChat account of one of Australia’s most popular Chinese online communities has been banned by the Chinese government despite the site’s ‘strict self censorship’, as experts say China’s crackdown on social media has raised concerns for media outlets in Australia.

NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, has been accused of blackmail after tying a $25 million deal for a sporting complex to the election of a coalition candidate.

The premier says the multi-million-dollar, conditional pledge for the proposed Orange Sporting Precinct gives voters a choice between new Nationals candidate Kate Hazelton and sitting MP Philip Donato.

A study released today, initiated by scientists at two Melbourne universities, found fatty acids are taken up into prostate cancer cells, increasing tumour growth.

Researchers then blocked the key fatty acid transporter and showed they could slow the cancer's development.

This reaffirms common knowledge that eating a healthy diet will reduce the chance of chronic illness.

Regional Queenslanders are jumping on board the next wave of renewable energy, with solar and battery installation grants disappearing quickly.

Energy Minister, Dr Anthony Lynham said Queensland has one of the highest penetrations of rooftop solar in the world with more than 500,000 rooftop solar systems.

He also added “the next wave is to be a world leader in battery storage”.

With social media being a possible driver of self-harm and suicide among youth, the UK government is now taking matters into its own hands.

Authorities say a regulatory system for social media companies should be created to address the problem.

A lawyer specializing in internet law and social media says that it is possible to create cross jurisdictional internet regulations to limit social media content and mitigate the harm it can inflict on children, however this may raise issues around personal freedom for users.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani wants his government to be “the decision-maker” in any peace deal involving the US and the Taliban.

In a television interview with Afghan opposition politicians and Taliban representatives in Moscow, Ghani said no peace deal between the Taliban and the United States could be finalised without involving his government.

Government minister, Scott Buchholz, has apologised for "behaving like an idiot" after a female defence officer reportedly complained about his behaviour.

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) member lodged a complaint about the Assistant Minister for Roads and Transport, who says he recognises how inappropriate his actions were.

The nature of the complaint is unknown but the incident is understood to have occurred in August last year in Darwin, before Mr Buchholz was promoted to the frontbench by the prime minister.

Storms across Tasmania have brought some much needed relief to the bushfire crisis, with Hobart recording 17 millimetres this morning.

Luke Johnston, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said there is more to come including a possibility of hail.

In a statement, the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) said the rainfall overnight had "eased the fire risk to a number of Tasmanian communities".