More than 50 migrants are feared drowned off the coast of Tunisia, as their boat heading to Italy sank on Monday. 

Drowning events have been occurring off the coast in recent weeks, as the frequency of trips from Tunisia and Libya to Europe have increased due to good weather. 

Defence ministry spokesperson Mohamed Zikri said 33 survivors were rescued after clinging to an oil platform off the coast of Tunisia.

Australian and New Zealand farmers are campaigning in support of minority Baha'i families in northern Iran, following mass seizures of farmland by the government. 

An Iranian court order outlawed ownership of farmland for Baha’i families, leaving dozens of families internally displaced and impoverished.

The 81 farmers have written an open letter to the Iranian government, asking them to return unjustly seized farmland to the Baha’i people.

Australia’s peak doctor’s association is calling on the federal government to launch a major campaign to combat vaccine hesitancy. 

The calls follow new data which outlined 30 per cent of Australians do not plan on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and that 1.5 million vaccines are currently waiting to be administered in Australia. 

Australian Medical Association vice-president Chris Moy says a campaign is necessary to prevent negative perceptions of the vaccine, and to remind Australians the threat of COVID-19 is real. 

Thousands of Australian school students are expected to participate in nationwide climate protests tomorrow. 

The students will be protesting the Australian government's use of gas and coal, in what is expected to be the largest national school strike since the pandemic began. 

The Brisbane School Strike for Climate will begin at 1 pm tomorrow, at King George Square in the CBD.

A North Queensland MP is defending a local hospital against accusations of mismanagement by the state government. 

Minister for Health Yvette D'ath yesterday announced the North West Hospital and Health Service (NWHHS) board would have to defend its management of hospitals and services around Mt Isa. 

“The action I have taken today asks the board to show cause as to why they should not be dismissed and an administrator appointed," said Ms D'ath.

Nearly 400 civil society organisations inside Myanmar have written an open letter to the foreign minister, Marise Payne, condemning Australia’s “shameful inaction” and urging it to impose new sanctions to de-legitimise the military regime and squeeze its sources of foreign funding.

The Australian Medical Students’ Association is calling on the federal government to reinstate funding for thousands of medical students to do rural placements.

The funding for the rural placement program was suspended following the Federal Budget announcements last week.

Former diplomat Frances Adamson has been announced as South Australia's next governor.

SA Premier Steven Marshall said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary would replace current Governor Hieu Van Le  in October.

Ms Adamson was also Australia's ambassador to China from 2011 to 2015.

She will be the state's third female governor.