A police raid in the Dallas suburb of Melbourne this morning has led to the search of three properties at dawn.

The raid has led to the arrest of two men, a 26 and 21 year old, who were alleged to be involved in preparations for a terrorist attack.

While police say there is no current threat to the community, more information will be available to the public from a police press conference at 9am.

A Chinese novelist has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for writing and distributing homoerotic novels.

The female writer, known by her internet pseudonym Tianyi, was arrested following the success of her novel “Occupy”. The book was described by police as depicting “obscene sexual behavior between males” set to themes of “violence, abuse and humiliation.”

Tianyi’s case has gained national attention after being shared online, sparking debate over the production and sale of pornography, which remains strictly prohibited in China.

Chicago Mercy Hospital is in lockdown and first-responder police have taken position outside the campus with rifles after reports of an active shooter.

Chicago police say an active shooter in the city hospital is ‘down, with initial reports suggesting ‘ multiple victims’ - including a critically wounded police officer.

The Chicago Sun-Times has been told by a witness who was inside the hospital that he heard five shots of rapid fire, possibly from a large caliber weapon.

Queensland Rail train drivers have been paid tens of thousands of dollars in overtime; with the top five best paid employees earning up to $210,000 through 561 and 919 hours of overtime.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey says focus on recruitment had reduced overtime claims - showing a 6 per cent decrease in 2017-18 from the overtime claims from the previous year.

Mr Bailey said the drop in overtime hours was good news but more drivers and guards were needed to come into the system to bring Queensland Rail's overtime bills down.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has reiterated her ban on her ministers attending a men-only club as it continues to exclude female membership.

Running for 153 years, the Tattersall’s Club has had proposals to change from a single gender structure three times but was rejected on each occasion.

Palaszcuk states that ‘a club that seeks to engage community leaders but bans women from being members is out of step with community sentiment’.

Scott Morrison signals for cutting migration in response to population concerns.

The Prime Minister delivered a speech Monday night that signaled for a reduction in the current population cap. Saying, “enough, enough, enough. The roads are clogged, the buses and trains are full. The schools are taking no more enrolments.”

Scientists save one of Australia’s most important birds, taking the population back from the brink of extinction.

The endangered plains-wanderer once roamed the grasslands surrounding Melbourne, with their population in decline, four little survivals represent a milestone in the fight to stop the species dying out.

These birds have been bred in captivity now, and four healthy plains-wanderer chicks hatched at the Werribee Open Range Zoo.

Mixed receptions leave Central Americans uncertain in Tijuana, Mexico.

Tensions rose on Sunday in Tijuana when a small group of local residents began marching towards the sports complex serving as a shelter for thousands of Central American migrants.

Tijuana has received more than 2,500 migrants and refugees, most from Honduras and El Salvador, with an expected 10,000 on their way fleeing violence and poverty for several months.

NASA is considering selling seats on their spacecraft to private citizens in an attempt to broaden its appeal and receive more revenue.

The seats are alleged to cost millions of dollars, with citizens having the opportunity to fly to the space station in orbit.

This comes after the White House has sought to end its direct funding of the International Space Station by 2025, allowing the orbiting laboratory to become open to more commercial forms of income.