Prime minister Scott Morrison says he has “full confidence” in Peter Dutton despite the recent au pair scandal.

A Senate inquiry has found that Dutton “misled” parliament by denying his personal connection to the women he released from immigration detention and granted VISAs to.

Dutton had a personal relationship with those employing the Au Pairs, but categorically denied this connection when asked about it in the lower house.

Six people have been hospitalized after a chemical leak at Sydney’s Pullman hotel.

At 9am on Wednesday, emergency services were called to the scene, following reports that gases had spread throughout the ventilation system on the top floors of the hotel.

A hotel spokeswoman says the incident occurred because of a mistake made during pool maintenance. An incorrect dosage of pool chemicals caused a toxic gas to emit and enter the adjacent air intake.

Ministers from Italy and Austria and calling for asylum seekers to be processed offshore, onboard ships rather than being brought into Europe.

Italy proposed these “floating reception centres” back in 2016, but the safety and legality of the idea was brought into question.

The EU has found this issue to still be unresolved, despite new anti-refugee policies giving the idea new traction.

Giant bundles containing almost 50 kilos of marijuana have been washing up on Florida beaches since the approach of hurricane Florence.

It is presumed the huge amounts of narcotics came from either a boat capsized by the storm or an airplane drop gone wrong.

According to one beachgoer, people were fighting over whether to take the drugs or call the cops.

A ferocious storm, dubbed Storm Ali, has hit Ireland, claiming the lives of two people and hospitalizing two others.

On Wednesday, a 50-year-old woman died after high winds blew the caravan she was driving over a cliff in the Irish Republic. Irish Police say the body of the woman was found on a beach in Claddaghduff in the Western Country of Galway. A 20-year-old engineer has also died as a result of the storm, after being struck by a tree near Newry in Country Down.

As of Tuesday, Hong Kong will now recognize overseas same-sex partnerships when granting dependent visas.

This review of same-sex policy comes after a review of a long legal battle in the countries Court of Final Appeal found that a married British lesbian should be granted a spousal visa whilst being initially denied.

A baby meerkat has disappeared from Perth Zoo, with keepers fearing the meerkitten has been stolen, or taken by a predatory bird.

The baby had been celebrated, born as part of a regional breeding program at the zoo.

It had only been venturing out of its nest box on its own for a few days before going missing.

If it has been stolen, the zoo is urging the meerkitten’s captor to come forward as the baby needs a specialised diet and care to survive.

Federal Government announces new criminal charges for food tampering following strawberry snafu

The Federal Government has increased the penalty sentence for food tampering from 10 maximum to 15 years maximum following 100 reports of contaminated fruit starting with a Queensland man eating a strawberry with a needle inside.

Whilst plenty of kids are getting excited for the upcoming school holidays, younger ones may find it provokes anxiety.

Lower primary students are often exhausted and irritable after a long school term, and the disruption to their routine that holidays provide can cause additional stress.

Dr Justin Coulson, father and psychologist, says that kids are “running on empty” at this time of year, and parents can help by providing a structured and routine spring break.