Newly weds carried AK-15 rifles during their wedding ceremonies at the Unification church in Pennsylvania on Wednesday.

Cardinal George Pell, former Sydney and Melbourne Archbishop and Ballarat priest, has taken leave from his position as Vatican Treasurer to fight sexual offence charges.

He faces a four-week committal hearing beginning on Monday and is the highest-ranking Catholic official to be charged with sexual abuse.

A brief administrative update is set to occur at the Melbourne Magistrates court today, and the 76 year old Cardinal is not expected to attend.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts the heaviest rainfall in years for parts of Western Queensland this weekend.

PhD Candidate and Scientist Julianne Farrell in Toowoomba has trained her black labrador, Ruby, to detect various types of insects and parasites.

The weather system dubbed ‘the beast from the east’ continues to plummet Europe and the UK into a Siberian weather pattern killing dozens of people and stalling transport networks.

Papua New Guinea’s government has declared a state of emergency following a 7.5 magnitude earthquake in sections of their Highlands Region.

PNG has allocated $180 million for relief, with Australia pledging $200 thousand of their own money to aid efforts.

Health workers have confirmed close to 50 deaths already, with large amounts of destruction in outlying areas.

Outreach groups in Tennant Creek call for a long-term, systematic change to decrease high rates of alcohol abuse and family violence.

Tasmania’s Premier Will Hodgman, has denied allegations of discreetly trying to water down gun laws during the election campaign.

According to the opposition leader Bill Shorten, Adani would receive no compensation and find it difficult to prevent a Labor government’s decision to cancel its mining licence.