An Australian academic and human rights activist has been detained in the Philippines Manila international airport, being denied entry to the country after arriving on a flight from China.

Tasmanian man Jake Raymond Cleaver was yesterday charged a $850 fine after trying to sell more than 30 Indigenous stone relics on Gumtree in July last year.

Christmas tree growers are warning that because of the drought, this year’s trees won’t be the traditional colour, shape, scent and height everyone usually likes.

A teenage rural fire service volunteer has been charged with lighting several blazes around central Queensland in recent months.

The Indonesian island of Lombok was shaken by a third big earthquake on Thursday as the official death toll topped 300.

More than 4000 firefighters are making progress in controlling California's largest wildfire on record, but the death toll is continuing to rise.

Protestors gathered in Sydney and Melbourne on Thursday afternoon calling on Qantas and Jetstar to refuse to carry unsuccessful asylum seekers whom the federal government wants to deport.

Cats are being blamed for the spread of native wildlife-killing toxoplasmosis as calls for urgent action to tackle the infection are being called.

As feral cat populations in Tasmania have grown, toxo as it's known, has taken a massive toll on local wildlife, spreading through the urine and faeces of cats to mammals, with humans being susceptible.

 

At least $850 000 parking fines in Brisbane issued by the Brisbane City Council have been successful overturned by Brisbane residents.

Amongst the top reasons for incorrect parking fines were officer errors and faulty meters, along with the incorrect registration or meter and resident parking permits not being displayed.

Opposition councillor, Jared Cassidy, said 13,106 fines had been issued that shouldn’t have been.