A family of six, including a nine-year-old girl, were behind a wave of blasts that targeted three churches in Indonesia's city of Surabaya, authorities say.

At least 13 people died in the bombings on Sunday, which the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility for.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has ordered a full investigation into the IS-inspired network the family belonged to after touring the bomb sites over the weekend.  

Schools and universities across Tasmania are starting to reopen as the clean up from flood damage continues.

The three-day catastrophe has led to roads being closed, dozens of houses without power and 12,000 properties damaged.

While the clean up has only just begun, Attorney-General Elise Archer applauded emergency services and local councils around Tasmania saying they have been ‘nothing short of extraordinary.’

A racing club car park located at Ascot will be converted back into public parkland in 2019 to offer more health activities to the neighbourhood.

The project will cover the triangular park between Lancaster Road, Kitchener Road and McGill Avenue. At this time, the area has dirt and cement paths surrounded by the grass and a scattering of trees.  

Considered a historical site once used by military vehicles, the proposed park will offer a gym/fitness area, a dog off-leash area, playground and rotunda.

A buoy in the Southern Ocean has recorded the largest wave in the southern hemisphere, reaching 23.8 metres.

Spotify announced yesterday they will no longer feature rapper R Kelly in their playlist recommendations.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has confirmed their first death in the latest ebola outbreak with 11 more people infected, including three medical staff.

2016 Presidential Candidate and former US First Lady Hillary Clinton spoke at a ‘Women in Leadership”  talk in Melbourne yesterday.

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard shared the stage with Clinton, and the pair discussed experiences of misogyny in office and eradicating sexism from politics.

Clinton also encouraged Australia to advocate strongly for its national interests, after she mentioned China’s expansionism; building naval bases and occupying reefs and atolls across the pacific.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Thursday announced it had granted conditional authorisation for a deal over cruise ship operator, Carnival’s access to the long awaited Port of Brisbane project.

Laws that would give the local government minister the power to sack or dismiss councils, individual councillors and mayors will be introduced to Queensland’s parliament next week.