James Cook University has adopted a program training dentistry students to identify signs of domestic abuse in their patients.

The program, ‘Domestic violence: recognise, respond, refer’ will train students to detect signs beyond the physical head and neck injuries, including psychological, financial, and emotional factors, says Dr Felicity Croker of James Cook University School of Dentistry.

Dr Croker emphasised dentists are not receiving training in counselling, rather they will act as a channel, referring victims to support services.

Australian Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Nigel Scullion claims no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australians have spoken to him regarding changing the date of Australia Day.

PNG health officials have called for public autopsies as a possible solution to sorcery-related attacks.

Thousands of crown-of-thorn starfish which have been eating through the southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef will be targeted in large-scale cull over the following week.

A random truck inspection at the Laos-China border has resulted in the rescue of six red pandas, the largest recorded rescue of the endangered animal.

Australian researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and John Hopkins University have began to develop a blood test that could significantly increase early-stage cancer diagnosis.