Audio
DNA of witchetty grubs collected to discover different species eaten by Indigenous people Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Researchers have been analysing the DNA of witchetty grubs to discover the different species eaten by Indigenous people. The team travelled to remote communities across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Victoria to collect the larvae. They're hoping the project will help protect traditional knowledge about the grubs and the plants they live in.
Topics: invertebrates---insects-and-arachnids, science-and-technology, animal-science, genetics, dna, australia
Small town takes serious socio-economic hit due to water buybacks Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A small town impacted by the Murray Darling Basin Plan, wants to reframe the debate over water buybacks. Dirranbandi, on the Queensland/New South Wales border has taken a serious socio-economic hit as a result of the water recovery process and had been calling for no further buybacks. But as Jodie Gunders reports, the community has decided to take a more pragmatic approach to Canberra this week.
Topics: water-supply, environment, environmental-management, water, environmental-impact, environmental-policy, australia
Melbourne council makes acknowledgement of traditional land owners optional Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A council in Melbourne's inner city has voted to make the Indigenous 'acknowledgment of country' at the start of council meetings optional. The decision has been revealed only a day after Malcolm Turnbull presented the ninth annual Closing the Gap report on Indigenous disadvantage. The City of Boroondara says the decision will prevent the acknowledgement from being seen as tokenistic. But critics say it's a sign of disrespect.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, indigenous-culture, reconciliation, government-and-politics, indigenous-policy, australia
Kim Jong-nam assassinated because of family links to power Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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North Korean agents are suspected to have killed a former heir apparent to the isolated country's Communist dictatorship. Kim Jong-nam died in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur after reportedly being poisoned. He's the son of Kim Jong-il, and at one stage he was being groomed to take over, before he fell out of favour and went into semi-exile. Now, speculation's mounting that the assassination was ordered by Kim Jong-nam's half brother - North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.
Topics: communism, crime, murder-and-manslaughter, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of
Historian reflects on fall of Singapore and POW experience Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Christina Twomey is a Professor of History at Monash University who has written extensively about prisoners of war. She says it is important to recognise the battles that have occurred within our own region, with outcomes that were 'less glorious'.
Topics: world-war-2, history, world-politics, singapore
Australians pause for 75th Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Today is the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, when British troops on the island surrendered to the Japanese. At the time, Britain's Prime Minister said it was the 'worst disaster and the greatest capitulation in British history'. It also claimed the lives of 1,800 Australians, and thousands more became prisoners of war.
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, community-and-society, death, australia
Expert analysis ahead of Jakarta Governor result Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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While millions of people go to the polls in Jakarta to vote for its next Governor, one expert says the election signals an important movement in Indonesian politics on a much larger scale. Rather than policy, the campaign has been run almost exclusively on race and religion. Dr Dave McRae is an expert on Asian affairs, and says the election has managed to bring together some of Indonesia's largest political interests.
Topics: international-law, elections, indonesia
Jakartans head to polls for new Governor in bitter contest Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The race for the governorship of Jakarta has been like no other, and millions of Jakartans will head to the polls this morning. The incumbent candidate, Governor Ahok, is a Christian and ethnic Chinese, and has been facing trial for the crime of blasphemy throughout the campaign and has a battle ahead to win the election.
Topics: international-law, elections, indonesia
Principal stress, threats of violence, on the rise Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The latest study looking into the health and wellbeing of the nation's school principals paints a grim picture of rising stress, increasing threats of violence, and eroding trust in the education system. When the annual Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey started six years ago, 38 per cent of participants said they had experienced threats of violence. This year, that rose to 44 per cent. Increasing work loads are also leading to concerning levels of stress. Industry experts say intervention is needed, and the report's author suggests a national summit is needed to try and fix the trend.
Topics: schools, community-and-society, family-and-children, education, primary-schools, public-schools, secondary-schools, teachers, stress, australia
Crackdown on on brothels in Adelaide forces workers into risky work Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A major crackdown on massage parlours and brothels across Adelaide has forced sex workers into risky private work where they are more vulnerable to violence and crime, according to the Sex Industry Network. Police have been accused of aggression and threatening behaviour during a flurry of raids since September that have resulted in the closure of well-established brothels and sex workers who are too scared to report crimes against them.
Topics: prostitution, community-and-society, law-crime-and-justice, sexual-offences, sa, australia
Seven chairman Kerry Stokes backs Tim Worner as Amber Harrison scandal deepens Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner remains defiant about fallout from his affair with Seven employee Amber Harrison as he delivered a 91 per cent fall in half year profit this morning. Mr Worner pointed to challenging times in traditional free to air television as a factor that dragged the profit down to $12.4 million. With little focus on the financial results, chairman Kerry Stokes again defended Mr Worner as he failed to dodge questions about the Amber Harrison scandal.
Topics: media, arts-and-entertainment, digital-multimedia, business-economics-and-finance, industry, australia
Health researchers find tax on sugar,salt and saturated fat would save money and extend life Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Melbourne researchers have found a tax on unhealthy foods based on sugar, salt and saturated fat units would help to tackle the Australian obesity epidemic. The model would also provide a subsidy for fresh foods which would make it cost-neutral for households. But the food industry says the proposal is effectively another G-S-T and has been shown not to work overseas.
Topics: obesity, tax, health, diet-and-nutrition, medical-research, australia
Domino's CEO says he's 'proud' of franchisees as investigation into worker exploitation continues Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The boss of Domino's says there's no room for worker exploitation within the national franchise. The comments came as the group posted a healthy lift in its profit to just over $50 million. Investigations into widespread underpayment and exploitation of Domino's workers are on-going. But experts say Domino's still needs to step up to the plate to solve the financial problems facing its employees.
Topics: food-and-beverage, business-economics-and-finance, industry, industrial-relations, unions, food-safety, australia
New fight brewing on NDIS funding Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Federal Government and Opposition have renewed their fight over the long-term funding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Labor insists that it created a fully funded scheme, but the Government disputes that. It's now raised the prospect of increasing taxes if the Senate doesn't pass a package of welfare cuts. But the Opposition has described that threat as a 'massive tantrum'.
Topics: tax, family-and-children, family-law, health-policy, social-policy, money-and-monetary-policy, australia
Jeff Kennett says 'enough is enough' on Amber Harrison, Tim Worner scandal Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Seven West Media director Jeff Kennett has called 'enough is enough' on fallout from chief executive Tim Worner's affair with Amber Harrison. The former Victorian premier has hit back at Ms Harrison who has been accused of leaking confidential Seven documents on Twitter despite receiving a $330,000 payout. Mr Kennett spoke with the ABC's Peter Ryan.
Topics: australia
Flynn cover up worse than the sin: former CIA deputy director Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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A former deputy director of the CIA says Michael Flynn's resignation is more about the cover-up, rather than what said in conversation with the Russian ambassador to the US. Michael Morell served as the CIA's deputy director for several years, and was the acting director twice. Mr Morell spoke to a packed audience at the Lowy Institute last night.
Topics: world-politics, united-states
Kim Jong-Un's half-brother killed in suspected murder by North Korean agents Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un has died after he was apparently murdered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport while waiting for a flight to Macau. It is suspected that Kim Jong-Nam was killed by North Korean agents. Malaysian police say a woman covered his face with a cloth that burnt his eyes, and he died on the way to hospital.
Topics: world-politics, murder-and-manslaughter, korea-democratic-people-s-republic-of, malaysia
Trump administration in disarray after advisor's sacking Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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US President Donald Trump is still yet to talk about the first sacking of his administration. National Security Advisor Michael Flynn quit 24 days into the job after admitting he had not given his colleagues at the White House a complete version of his dealings with Russia.
Topics: world-politics, united-states
Scrap $50b corporate tax cuts to fund NDIS: Shorten Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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As the Federal Government has raised the prospect of new, higher taxes or spending cuts to help pay for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says corporate taxes should be cut instead. Mr Shorten says the NDIS was fully-funded when introduced by the Labor Government and family payments should not need to be cut.
Topics: federal-government, australia
Australian woman accused of Bali policeman killing denies destroying evidence Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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An Australian woman accused of killing a Bali policeman has denied wanting to destroy evidence in the last day of her trial. Sara Connor, of Byron Bay, and her British boyfriend David Taylor are facing a trial in Bali over the murder of policeman Wayan Taylor.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, bali
Air traffic control job cuts a 'significant risk' to travelling public: workers Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Hundreds of cuts to jobs at the Government organisation responsible for air traffic control could put the travelling public at 'significant risk', workers have warned. In an email to senior managers, obtained by the ABC, one worker claims the organisation has wilfully disregarded public safety with the decision.
Topics: air-transport, australia
PM Full Program Audio
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On Tuesday's program: The Vatican's refusal to accept homosexual men into the priesthood has been a contentious issue at the Royal Commission today; The RSL's National leadership and its NSW branch are negotiating terms for the entire state council to stand down. RSL NSW is currently being investigated by police, the charities watchdog, and an independent auditor over several alleged financial scandals; And while the Closing the Gap report card shows a disappointing lack of progress in literacy and numeracy skills, many Aboriginal communities are driving educational change in their own backyards. The Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council in NSW is doing just that, and succeeding beyond its own expectations.
Topics: australia
RSL National and NSW branch negotiating terms for the state council to stand down Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The RSL's National leadership and its NSW branch are negotiating terms for the entire state council to stand down. RSL NSW is currently being investigated by police, the charities watchdog, and an independent auditor over several alleged financial scandals. Among them, that former President Don Rowe claimed expenses of $475,000 between 2009 and 2014. The RSL NSW state council has agreed to step down, but only on the condition it can name the caretaker who'll replace them.
Topics: veterans, defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, army, australia
Vic Government rejects recommendations to set up facility forcing children into treatment Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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The Victorian government has rejected recommendations to set up a facility that would force vulnerable children into treatment for drug addiction and mental health problems. The recommendations are contained in a report by KPMG and the Australian Childhood Foundation which has been obtained by the ABC under freedom of information laws. It concludes that while there's limited evidence that compulsory therapeutic treatment is effective, there is a place for it in Victoria as child protection agencies grapple with how to deal with increasingly troubled and traumatised young people. It comes as the Victorian government faces mounting anger over its recently announced plan to build a $250 million youth detention centre in Melbourne's west.
Topics: drugs-and-substance-abuse, drug-education, health, child-health-and-behaviour, drug-use, vic, australia
Closing the Gap: Indigenous unemployment target won't be met Audio Transcript and Verbatim
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Among the Closing the Gap targets that remain well off-track is Indigenous employment. The unemployment rate for Indigenous people across the country last year was almost four times the non-Indigenous rate.
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, unemployment, torres-strait-islander, australia
