Journalist deported from Papa New Guinea after offending soldiers

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 Rican presidential elects denounce same-sex marriage

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 sends head of state to Winter Olympic Games

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.

Cure found for deadly frog disease

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.

Sand mine sparks outrage

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.

Turning stone to wood with a new style of gravestone

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.

Israel begins deportation of African asylum seekers

Israel has begun issuing deportation notices to asylum seekers from African countries.

On Sunday the first notices were distributed to men in the country without families, with up to twenty thousand people from Eritrea and Sudan being asked to leave within sixty days.

The notices were part of a new ‘voluntary removal’ scheme from the Israeli government to settle refugees in Rwanda, with the possible of more forceful measures taking place in the near future.  

Turkish soldiers killed in continuing conflict with Northern Syria

Eight turkish soldiers have been killed in the continuing conflict against Kurdish radicals in Northern Syria.

Turkey launched an offensive operation two weeks ago in an attempt to clear Kurdish militants and religious extremist out of Syria’s Afrin district.

The Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has promised retaliation and increased force in his public statements.