A record $718 million dollars has been invested in homegrown film and TV titles during the 2017/2018 financial year, according the annual Screen Australia Drama Report.

Record expenditure on projects like Pirates of the Caribbean has occurred despite the federal government reducing the screen funding body’s budget by over $50 million dollars since 2013.

Screen Australia’s Michael Brealey described the report as a “good news story” that signifies “steady growth” for Australian cinema.

American Muslims have raised more than $120 000 for the families of those killed and injured by the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

The organisations, Celebrate Mercy and M PowerChange hit their target of $25 000 within 6 hrs, and hope to distribute the funds to affected families to help with funeral expenses and medical bills.

Celebrate Mercy director Tarek El-Messidi said the action was to respond to evil with good.

Japan has successfully launched a pair of satellites designed to study the Earth this week, including the first satellite built by the UAE.

One satellite is designed to monitor greenhouse gases, measuring emissions and helping scientists to evaluate the role of human activity in climate change.

A spokesperson from the launch team said the satellite will make the mandatory emissions reporting in the Paris Agreement more transparent, and called it Japan’s “trump card” for global warming.

Over 200 guinea pigs have been seized by the RSPCA from a Brisbane garage suspected of being used for commercial breeding.

RSPCA Queensland CEO Mark Townend says complications could follow if the females housed in the mixed cages fall pregnant over the next 2 months.

The RSPCA is looking for households to re-home the animals, and is accepting donations of guinea pig housing, vegetables and pellets to support its network of foster carers.

A new bill being introduced to Parliament this week is set to implement human rights into Queensland law.

The Queensland Act will include a long list of basic rights, such as a right to life, protection from torture and cruelty, freedom from forced work and much more.

Human Rights Act for Queensland campaign coordinator Aimee McVeigh says this is a historic moment for the state, claiming these new laws will be more practical than the laws existing in Victoria and the ACT.

A fresh round of government funding released today aims to engage local and grassroots movements to decrease the misuse of illegal drugs like ice.

Existing local organisations are using their share of almost $300 million to develop community sport programs for young people, and implement outreach services in university campuses and workplaces.

Regional Services Minister Bridget McKenzie encourages people who “want to make a difference in [their] community… to build local partnerships and apply for the program.”

The Nationals deputy leader has called for Neo-Nazis to be quickly expelled from the party.

Bridget McKenzie has called the members ‘appalling’ and said the NSW division was acting ‘swiftly to root them out’.

Up to 20 NSW members could be expelled over links to the alt-right movement.

Uganda has made hosting refugees a part of its core national policy.

The country is currently home to as many as 1.25 million refugees who are supported by a large share of a $200 million dollar humanitarian aid fund.

Solomon Osaka, a Ugandan civil servant, said refugees live in settlements, not camps, and are given land where they can build a home, farm, and “be self-sufficient”.

China has been criticised for its move to reverse a decade old ban on using rhino horn and tiger parts for medical and cultural use.

The change in rules would allow rhino and tiger parts to be used in special circumstances such as medical research, educational use and cultural exchanges.

The World Wildlife Fund said the move could have ‘devastating consequences globally’ and was an ‘enormous setback.’