5 people were reportedly killed as authorities crack down on banned protests against President Joseph Kabila.

Witness reports in the Democratic Republic of Congo said security forces fired live rounds and tear gas to disperse demonstrators demanding an end to Kabila's 17-year rule.

The weekend’s protests followed the latest round of deadly anti-government protests in December 2017.

The Indonesian Government admited orangutans will most likely be gone from the wild in 50 years, as the destruction of jungles and number of wildlife smugglers increases.

It was reported that at least three baby orangutans are being trafficked through Thailand to third nations, such as the Middle East each week, with predictions they could disappear even sooner due to a lack of political will in Indonesia.

New technology will be used to improve tuna traceability in an attempt to stop illegal and unsustainable fishing practices in the Pacific Islands tuna industry.

The World Wildlife Fund, in partnership with US tech companies and Sea Quest Fiji, launched a pilot project that will use blockchain technology to track the journey of tuna from “bait-to-plate”.

The project aims to help stop unregulated fishing and reports of corruption, illegal trafficking and human slavery on tuna fishing boats.

The Nambucca Shire Council in New South Wales resolved not to support plans to convert state forests into a koala national park.

Proponents of turning the forests into a National park argued there would be significant economic gain in tourism while the logging industry said it would damage the local timber industry.

The Greens expressed disappointment in Nambucca Shire Council's failure to support the park, and said the council would rather allow native forests to be logged towards extinction, instead of exploring opportunities to conserve them.

Hundreds of people rallied in Brisbane’s CBD yesterday in solidarity with the international Women’s March movement, which calls for reforms of sexual assault laws, a change of culture, and other gender-based issues.

Protests, which also took place in many other major cities around the world, featured people holding signs and chanting in support of women’s rights.

This was the second official international March after it began last year in the United States following the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration.

Senator Fraser Anning formally confirmed he will be sitting as an independent in the federal senate.

Senator Anning who ran third on the Queensland ticket replaced Malcolm Roberts as he was disqualified due to holding dual citizenship.

In a letter to Senate President Steven Parry, Senator Anning said he could not comply with One Nation’s conditions and will sit as an independent to best represent rural Queensland’s interests.

Turkish ground forces pushed into the Afrin province of northern Syria as part of “Operation Olive Branch” after launching artillery and air strikes on the Kurdish militia located near the Turkish border.

The Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia, which was classed as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, said that it attempted to repel the Turkish forces and their allies.

American and New Zealand collaboration company, Rocket Lab, successfully launched 3 satellites into orbit from their launchpad in the Mahia Peninsula today.

Australian National University astrophysicist Brad Tucker said in the modern day space era it was no longer necessary to be a big government agency with a huge bankroll to pull off such a launch.

Designed for tracking shipping, weather and imaging, the 3 satellites are just the start as Rocket Lab aims to launch a rocket every week at a cost of $US4.9 million.