The government is considering developing new visa rules that will see migrants encouraged to live in regional Australia.

It comes amid an increasingly heated debate over our growing population, which is expected to rise from 24 million to 36 million by 2046, sparking concern among some critics over the impact on our cities.

The New South Wales State Government has set a new goal to ensure goods and services contracts are offered to Aboriginal-owned businesses.

The new Aboriginal Procurement Policy which would see the creation of thousands of Aboriginal jobs in NSW by 2021, will offer 3% of Government goods and services contracts offered to Aboriginal-owned businesses.

The new policy would also see procurement activities valued over $10 million considering employment opportunities for Aboriginal people and using Aboriginal businesses.

The Queensland Government is expecting a repair bill in the tens of millions of dollars after a report commissioned in the wake of London’s Grenfell Tower fire last year found 70 government buildings need rectification work to replace flammable cladding.

The report also identified 880 government buildings for further investigation, along with 12,000 privately owned properties, including 1,200 residential structures.

Private owners will be asked to remove cladding if they are found to be a risk.

A series of reforms aimed at stamping out corruption within Queensland’s councils is expected to pass state parliament after a third day of debate.

It comes after Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe issued a show-cause notice to Ipswich City Councillors a fortnight ago warming they would be sacked after continued corruption allegations against the council.

It is believed Labor has the numbers to pass the new legislation, part of which would give Mr Hinchliffe more power to dismiss councillors charged with corruption or integrity offences.

Pope Francis has instructed nuns to use social media with “sobriety and discretion” in a document titled Cor Orans.

This document says it is not only the content of the media, but also the “quantity of the information and type of communication.”

The document specifically refers to “social communications” not specific platform, but Catholic newspaper The Tablet said this meant Facebook and Twitter among other services.

Authorities in Lebanon have allegedly forced the cancellation of Beirut Pride halfway through its program, after the country last year became the first Arab nation to hold a gay pride week.

Organiser Hadi Damien says he was detained overnight at a police station after security forces came to an event, where he was forced to sign a pledge cancelling forthcoming Beirut Pride events to secure his release.

A Federal Government-ordered review into live sheep exports has recommended a major reduction in animals on ships bound for the Middle East during the hottest parts of the year.

The review was initiated this morning by Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, after footage emerged of almost 2,500 sheep dying from heat stress during a trip to the Middle East.

A bill to outlaw protesting within 150 meters of abortion clinics will be introduced into NSW parliament today.

The private member's bill, co-sponsored by Labor's Penny Sharpe and the National's Trevor Khan will also make it illegal to harass, photograph or cause distress to persons entering these premises.

If passed the bill will force Anti-Abortion protestors to abandon invasive tactics such as the use of signage featuring graphic images and the placement of activists by the entrances to abortion clinics.

StartupAus chief executive Alex McCauley says Brisbane’s startup sector, which has lagged in previous years, has ‘rocketed ahead’ to become a leader in Australia’s small business and entrepreneur tech scene.

Data compiled by Startup Muster showed in 2017, Brisbane held 15.2 percent of startup offices nationally, second to Sydney with 39.4 percent - shifting Australia’s startup scene toward an international focus after such immense growth.