Australian teenagers as young as 14 are increasingly resorting to extreme weight control measures, according to a new government study.

While a small minority met the criteria for anorexia or bulimia, significant numbers of young teenagers are reportedly skipping meals, vomiting or taking laxatives to stay thin.

The study found that teenagers aged 14 to 15 who dieted had elevated depression and anxiety levels, but their actions had little physical impact on their bodies.

Reports have revealed the Lion Air flight that crashed into the Java Sea on Monday had technical issues on a previous flight.

CEO of Lion Air, Edward Strait, said the technical issue was resolved according to procedure.

Rescue teams have successfully found the plane’s tail, but continue to search for its body and the 189 missing passengers.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced she will step down from her position at the end of her term in 2021.

Following a stint of recent election setbacks and poor polls, Merkel said she would not seek re-election as leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

Merkel has been its leader since 2000, however support has started shifting away from the major centre parties since the 2017 general election.

Nearly 13, 000 people marched in Taipei before a landmark vote next month on LGBT rights.

Drag queens rubbed shoulders with Christian pastors as tens of thousands of people took part in Taiwan's gay pride parade, the largest in Asia.

In May 2017, Taiwan’s top court legalised gay marriage and said its decision must be implemented within two years. The island will hold a series of public votes on same-sex marriage on November 24.

Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been officially declared Brazil’s next president, securing more than 55.5% of the national vote.

The leader has drawn controversy for his pro-gun, pro-torture extremist views, with the figure seen to likely change the future of the country.

Progressives in the country are reported as ‘disturbed’ and ‘fearful’ of the right-wing stance the country will likely now take under Bolsonaro’s leadership.

Research from the University of Sydney and University of New South Wales has found Australian workers are owed an estimated billion dollars, with almost 1 third being paid $12 an hour or less.

It was also revealed only one in ten migrant workers have taken action to recover unpaid wages, with few reporting it to the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The research revealed the reasons for the lack of confidence in migrant workers being mainly fear of job-less-ness, fear of migrant visa restrictions or citizenship status.

A $1.1 million settlement between a sexually assaulted student and Geelong Grammar School has been reached.

The victim’s payment will potentially allow for new court action against other institutions that have made significantly smaller payouts.  

The decision will have a large impact on the catholic church, with hundreds of cases settled after payments of less than 75,000 saw victims waive their right to sue.

Around 22,000 youth across Australia are taking part in a new federally funded program to encourage a bonding relationship between children and their elders.

The program, dubbed as ‘Ask Gran not Google’, encourages children to seek wisdom and advice from older Australians, instead of relying solely on technology.

The scheme, launched yesterday, allows school children to video conference Australian seniors, as well as write touching letters for advice. 150 Australian schools have signed up for the scheme.  

The Queensland Police are currently responding to a bomb threat at the Supreme Court building in Brisbane’s CBD.

The building on George St was evacuated at 9am this morning, with investigators still unsure whether it was either through technology or a person in the building.

The police have been investigating since 9:30.  More info is still to come, with police still treating it as highly serious.