The Federal Government has announced $500 million worth of funding for the Great Barrier Reef to help with tackling problems facing the reef.

The funding will be focused on restoring water quality and protecting it from crowns-of-thorns starfish, which have been eating corals, and destroying large areas of the reef.

Last year, UNESCO considered putting the reef on the “in danger” list of world heritage sites due to the unprecedented damage that has been caused by coral bleaching in recent years.

A former employee has disclosed that Bob Dudley, a highly ranked BP executive, was allegedly poisoned in a Russian plot.

Dudley fled Russia when his blood results confirmed that he was being poisoned slowly.

BP declined to comment regarding the allegations. Russia is yet to respond.

More than 1,000 people have gathered in the city of Chiang Mai in Thailand, protesting a luxury building development in a forested area.

Considered one of the country’s biggest demonstrations protests, the group rallied against a proposed housing development for judges and officials in the foothills of a sacred mountain.

The mountain accommodates a religious temple, and is considered sacred to many of the locals. 

Authorities have defended the building, having already spent $32 million on the project.

A quiet street in Melbourne was shaken up on Sunday morning as a water pipe burst on Ervin Road, in the Melbourne suburb of Kilsyth.  

Melbourne Water representative Craig Dixon quickly arrived and assessed the damage. Dixon stated that muddy water had damaged several properties.

Some families were forced to evacuated due to the damage.  

An animal welfare adviser to the Tasmanian government is quitting over what he perceives as a lack of progress and deep-seated issues with the way investigations are handled.

Dr Malcolm Caulfield, the principal solicitor for the Melbourne-based Animal Law Institute, says the Department of Primary Industries has been keeping his committee in the dark about animal welfare cases.

This comes after a lack of information about the cause of death of 16 polo ponies in the back of a truck while crossing the Bass Strait on a ship in January.

Rankin’s on the Mall owner Ross Petersen isn’t going down without a fight in his bid to save his landmark news agency with council redevelopment looming.

On March 29 Brisbane City Council officially notified the Queen Street Mall news agency, which has been operating for 35 years, they would be evicted.

Online and paper petitions calling on the council to allow the news agency to stay on Queen Street have so far received more than 5000 signatures.

AMP chairwoman Catherine Brenner has resigned this morning following the discovery of damning evidence at the banking royal commission of misconduct by the company’s staff.

The royal commission heard on Friday that the AMP could also be facing criminal penalties for misleading corporate regulator ASIC.

Counsel assisting the inquiry Rowena Orr, QC said the AMP may have breached regulations over numerous misleading statements relating to its practice of charging fees for no service.

An Armenian protest leader has announced his bid to become the nation’s next Prime Minister after he and his supporters demonstrated against the election of Serzh Sargsyan.

Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the protests, is hoping his bid will be backed by the country’s current president, Armen Sarkisian.

Protests have been occurring since Sargsyan was selected for the role earlier in the month, following him having to step down as the country’s President after 10 years due to Armenian term limits.