Welfare recipients in Southwest Melbourne are the target of a welfare cheats crackdown.

The federal operation will see investigators conduct “snap audits” on people with a history of non-compliance.

When authorities visited the area last in 2015, almost $11 million worth of benefits was reclaimed from 2600 individuals.

A site on King Island containing the fossils of the extinct dwarf emu has been destroyed by a golf course.

Avian palaeontologist Julian Hume said the sites were fossil material had previously been found has since been developed.

It is unclear if the golf course developers or the King Island Council, which approved the development, were aware of fossils at the site.

A new refugee crisis is unfolding in Latin America, as thousands flee from Nicaragua and Venezuela to neighbouring countries.

Immigration authorities say 23,000 Nicaraguans have applied for asylum in Costa Rica, as political unrest has shaken the nation since April.

Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos granted 440,000 Venezuelan refugees two-year temporary residency permits in an effort to relieve the crisis.

European diplomats have vowed to preserve the multinational nuclear deal with Iran, as the United States reimposes sanctions against the Middle Eastern country.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the remaining parties to the 2015 agreement will maintain "effective financial channels" with Iran and ensure its continued export of oil and gas.

Saudi Arabia’s state airline is suspending flights to and from Toronto, the latest in a series of measures announced by the kingdom in its diplomatic dispute with Canada.

The move came hours after Riyadh expelled the Canadian ambassador over alleged interference in Saudi domestic affairs after Ottawa's foreign ministry rebuked Saudi Arabia for jailing human rights activists.

Canadian minister of foreign affairs Chrystia Freeland stated Canada will always stand up for human rights in Canada and around the world, and women's rights are human rights.

Funding has been secured for 10 North West Regional council infrastructure project proposals, under a new QLD government initiative.

The development comes as part of a $30 million program designed to deliver important infrastructure to local communities.

Among the projects is an overhaul of the Richmond Agricultural precinct.

Victorian dental patients are currently facing a significant waiting list, with an average wait time of 20 months to see a public dentist.

Dr Matt Hopcraft of the Australian Dental Association says long public waiting times are a problem around the country, describing the situation in Victoria as among the worst.

Australia’s population is expected to hit 25 million later tonight, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Political commentator George Megalogenis says the 25th million person is likely to be young, female and a Chinese student or skilled worker.

According to the ABS, our population has grown by around 400,000 people in the past three years, and migration continue to outpace the birth rate in population growth.