18:05:00 09/02/2017
There's been a major legal breakthrough in the decades long campaign for justice over the unsolved murders of three Aboriginal children from the NSW town of Bowraville. A man who has previously been acquitted of the murders of two of the Bowraville children, has again been charged with their murder. The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared at Newcastle court today, over the deaths of four-year-old Evelyn Greenup and 16-year-old Clinton Speedy-Duroux. Whether the case proceeds any further, will depend on an application to the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal by the Attorney General.
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18:10:00 09/02/2017
There's fresh evidence that the Glencore mine in Mount Isa in north-west Queensland is a source of lead pollution and local residents are being urged to get tested to determine their exposure. The Queensland University study commissioned by the mining giant has found mine emissions can travel for kilometres right across town and present a potentially 'significant pathway' for lead into people. Among the concerns is the threat that lead poses to young children and their development. But the study concluded the risk is low if a diligent approach is taken by those living in the shadow of one of the country's biggest mining operations.
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18:15:00 09/02/2017
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has rounded on Labor after yesterday's power blackout in South Australia, blaming the opposition for 'ideological' support for renewable energy. But Labor says the Government could and should have done more to stop yesterday's blackouts by firing up reserve gas-fired capacity at Pelican Point.
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18:20:00 09/02/2017
The Australian Energy Market Operator has defended its move to cut electricity to thousands of customers in South Australia last night. 90,000 homes and businesses lost power because of insufficient generation due to the hot weather. New South Wales facing a similar prospect tomorrow. But with forecasts showing a potential lack of power reserves across the rest of summer and those to come, concerns have been raised about the vulnerability of other states in the future.
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18:25:00 09/02/2017
Budget cuts are biting at the New South Wales corruption commission. The ICAC will have five fewer investigators this year, as a result of cuts in last year's New South Wales State Budget. The Commission says that could mean fewer investigations. PM can also reveal that no candidates have yet been interviewed to fill the role of the three new commissioners.
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18:30:00 09/02/2017
Canon law experts have told the child sexual abuse Royal Commission that if all the Australian states enacted mandatory reporting laws the Catholic Church would be compelled to report the clerical sexual abuse of children. The Commission is examining how the Church's canon law has been used to cover up abuse and protect paedophile priests.
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18:35:00 09/02/2017
The National Debt Helpline has told PM it's buckling under an unprecedented number of calls from Australians seeking financial counselling. PM understands as many as 14,000 phone calls went unanswered in January due to a lack of staff. Experts claim Australia is on the verge of a debt binge hangover.
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18:40:00 09/02/2017
Detainees at Australia's offshore detention centre on Manus Island say immigration officials have begun deporting asylum-seekers. The asylum-seekers' lawyer has confirmed at least one Nepalese man was removed from the centre in the early hours of the morning so he could be flown to Port Moresby then back to Nepal. Immigration authorities have previously said they were preparing to deport 163 men whose refugee claims had been rejected. This comes despite concern from international agencies that the men's claims have not been properly assessed. More
18:45:00 09/02/2017
Unions are alleging the Northern Territory's workplace regulator has failed to properly investigate a long list of serious workplace incidents. The death of a young man on a prawn trawler in 2013 is on the list, along with the recent drowning of a man at a Darwin wharf. The unions are calling for the Northern Territory Government to step in. More
18:50:00 09/02/2017
The former leader of the Australian Greens, Bob Brown has lodged a formal complaint with Tasmania's anti-discrimination commissioner over a post on Facebook that he's called 'homophobic'. The post doctored a famous photo of the Greens activist from a 1986 forestry demonstration implying his sexuality was a motivating factor in the protest. The issue has raised broader questions about how content is regulated on the internet.
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