The Queensland Murray Darling Committee have issued a warning for feral pig hunters throughout Queensland after a number of pigs have been believed to have been infected with leptospirosis.

Regional coordinator for feral animals Darren Marshall, said The Queensland Murray Darling Committee is funding a research project into the feral pigs with the hope of finding better ways to control numbers.

In humans, without treatment, leptospirosis can lead to kidney and liver damage and even death.

An Australian Journalist has been thrown out of Papua New Guinea for tweeting about the state of aid work in the country.

BBC journalist Rebecca Henschke was allowed into the country to cover a measles and malnutrition crisis, but was detained, questioned and eventually deported after her tweets went public.

The tweets in question were photos of supplies sitting on a dock and captions describing unhealthy junk food being given to malnourished children - the Papa New Guinea Government has rejected the claims.

Costa Ricans took to the polls on Sunday to vote for a new president amidst a heavy debate over same-sex marriage.

Conservative christian singer and TV anchor, Fabrico Alvarado is amongst leading candidates who are fiercely opposing gay rights, and challenging the countries traditionally cenrtist politics.

Alvarado’s popularity skyrocketed after denouncing the region’s top human rights court that called on Costa Rica to give equal civil marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples.

North Korea has decided to send its highest ranking official to the South in a bid to ease tensions during the Winter Olympics.

Kim Yong-nam, the ceremonial head of state, will lead a 22-member delegation to the South on Friday, according to the South’s Unification Ministry.

The North's participation in the Games was widely seen as a diplomatic manoeuvre, as it faces growing international pressure and sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes.

Researches believe they have found a simple cure to an infectious disease responsible for wiping out more than a third of the world’s frog species.

University of Newcastle ecologist, Simon Clulow, said adding pool salt to freshwater habitats has seen a 70 percent survival rate in frogs infected with Chytridiomycosis.

Dr Clulow plans to join scientists in Ecuador, where a habitat is being constructed for a translocation program for the endangered Riobamba marsupial frog.

Residents of the Sunshine coast are preparing to settle in for a long haul protest movement in response to a the possible development of a large sand mine in the region.

The proposal for a 105 hectare sand mine in Forest Glen is currently in limbo, with reports that soil testing in the area has been completed but no official action has been taken.

A small Australian town has explored the concept of a new style of green cemetery to be used as its official town burial site.

The plans proposed by the Mission Beach Community Association suggested using trees as grave markers instead of headstones, and burying people vertically for economy of space.

The group claim that it’s environmentally the best option for Australia, and could even have a positive impact on the tourism industry.