North Korea has released three American prisoners following a visit to Pyongyang by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a sign of warming relations in advance of President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The prisoners, all Korean-American, are en route back to America with Pompeo, and it is expected they will be greeted by Mr Trump.

According to Mr Trump, the date and time of a future meeting with Mr Kim has been “set.”

Israel has been accused by Human Rights Watch of “shutting down criticism” after a work permit was not renewed for its local director.

Omar Shakir has 14 days to leave the country after he was accused of supporting the ‘Boycott Divestment and Sanctions’ movement, which demands an end to the occupation of Palestine, equal rights for Palestinian citizens of Israel, and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees to their homes.

The Victorian parliament has passed new laws to curtail the practice of “scalping”, purchasing tickets and then on-selling them at higher prices.

The new laws will allow event organisers to apply for “declared event” status.

Onselling tickets will still be permitted in some instances, but organisations that resell tickets for more than 10% of their official price will face heavy penalties.

Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is due to give his Budget Reply speech tonight, where he is expected to lay out an alternative vision for tax reform in Australia.

Labor has agreed to back the Government’s first set of tax cuts, focused on low and middle-income earners, but seems set to disagree on the second phase, which would put most Australian workers in the same tax bracket.

Six of south-east Queensland's most critical infrastructure projects received funding in the 2018 federal budget, but bus, rail and road projects are yet to be financed.

The unfunded critical projects include the Brisbane Valley Highway upgrade between Blacksoil and Blackbutt, the Manly to Cleveland rail duplication, the eastern busway to Capalaba and the Mt Lindesay Highway upgrade business case.

A three tower development on George St by the Shayher Group plans to make available up to 631 casual parking spaces during the planning and construction phase of their project.

Known as Brisbane Quarter, the mixed-use precinct will have an office, hotel, and residential tower, with the hotel first scheduled to be completed in June this year.

The spaces, which would only be temporary during construction, currently scheduled to finish in 2021, would be paid and managed by Wilsons.

A bride-to-be lost her arm to a crocodile in South Africa, five days before her wedding.

The woman’s husband punched the 2.5 meter reptile repeatedly to save her, but her arm was only freed when the croc did a death roll and ripped her arm off.

The wedding went ahead as planned - minus a limb - and the couple says it was a miracle to say their vows after the traumatic experience.