12:10:00 17/02/2014
The Prime Minister is back in Canberra after his tour of drought affected communities in New South Wales and Queensland. Tony Abbott promised farmers that he would look at government assistance in the form of more income and loan support to help them through the drought. In a deal likely to boost export opportunities for some farmers, the Government has moved a step closer to a free trade deal with South Korea. More
12:14:00 17/02/2014
As the Prime Minister promises to take a drought package to Cabinet, economics Professor John Freebairn from the University of Melbourne warns that the Government risks propping up unproductive parts of the economy unless it strictly limits its assistance. More
12:18:00 17/02/2014
While the Prime Minister brought some rain to the eastern states, some farmers from Western Australia's Wheatbelt say they've had very little rain for five years and are feeling overlooked by the drought discussions. The WA Farmers Federation says 150 large farms are experiencing severe drought and financial difficulties. More
12:22:00 17/02/2014
The Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed there was a bout of unrest at the Manus Island detention centre overnight. He says eight asylum seekers have been arrested after 35 escaped. Advocates and locals say the incident was fuelled by frustration over the length of time it's taking to process the detainees' claims. But the Prime Minister says processing is happening, and the deal to resettle Manus island detainees in Papua New Guinea stands. More
12:26:00 17/02/2014
Industry Super Australia has received legal advice that the Federal Government's plans to rollback Labor's superannuation reforms could be ruled invalid and susceptible to a court challenge. The Melbourne law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler says financial advisors who rely on the Government's changes standing up could be found to have acted unlawfully. But the Assistant Treasurer Senator Arthur Sinodinos says the Government is standing firm. More
12:30:00 17/02/2014
The Royal Commission into child sexual abuse is holding its first public inquiry outside Sydney today, investigating a scandal in the regional Queensland city of Toowoomba. The case involves the abuse of 13 primary school girls by their teacher, Gerard Byrnes, who pleaded guilty and is now serving a 10-year jail sentence. The commission is investigating how the school staff, including the principal, and Catholic Church officials in Queensland dealt with the allegations when they first emerged in 2007. More
12:34:00 17/02/2014
The Royal Commission is also looking at the mandatory reporting regime that was in place at the time of the abuse at the Toowoomba School. The rules were tightened after the school principal was found not guilty of failing to refer the allegation to police. Monique Scattini represented the families of five victims who took the civil action. She joins The World Today to explain how the mandatory reporting rules have changed since then. More
12:38:00 17/02/2014
In Victoria, 20 firefighters have been treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after fighting a blaze which is still burning inside the open-cut mine at the Hazelwood Power Station, east of Melbourne. The three kilometre fire has been burning inside the coal mine for eight days. It's causing problems for the people of Morwell, who were told to stay inside their homes on Saturday due to dangerously high carbon monoxide levels in smoke blanketing the town. More
12:42:00 17/02/2014
The US Secretary of State John Kerry has delivered a keynote address on climate change in Indonesia, urging countries to pull together on a threat that he says is very real. John Kerry has also reached out to young people, telling them that there is time to make a difference. More
- Dominique Schwartz
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12:46:00 17/02/2014
Fiji's Attorney-General is keeping up the pressure on the Australian government to officially lift travel restrictions. During a visit to Fiji last week, Australia's Foreign Minister said there had been a significant easing of the restrictions on government officials but Fiji wants the Federal Government to lift the ban completely, calling it "economic sabotage". More
12:50:00 17/02/2014
A growing number of Victorian primary school principals are ignoring the legislative requirement that they provide students with an hour of religious instruction a week. The Victorian Education Minister says the law was passed in 2006 with bipartisan support but he is confident principals will make the best decision for their school. More
12:50:00 17/02/2014
The New South Wales regional city of Orange, the birthplace of Banjo Patterson, is holding a festival to mark his 150th birthday. The event has included the unveiling of a refurbished cottage, the last remaining building from the property where the poet was born. More
