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The global beef trade has entered a new era of uncertainty with the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House and with Britain exiting Europe. But the industry also says it's a time for opportunity, with the first live cattle shipments direct to China.
Topics: beef-cattle, government-and-politics, world-politics, rural, australia, united-kingdom, england, united-states, european-union
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Australian music festivals are a popular choice in summer but in the crowds people, namely women, are being sexually assaulted and harassed. Some music festivals, such as Laneway, are trying to stamp out this behaviour with new initiatives and help lines. But according to experts in sexual assault, more resources are needed to help victims.
Topics: sexual-offences, arts-and-entertainment, carnivals-and-festivals, music, law-crime-and-justice, australia
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Domestic violence support groups and victims are concerned a review of Queensland's bail laws is not including those affected. Queensland Attorney General Yvette D'ath directed her department to investigate the state's bail system, after a Gold Coast woman was murdered by her estranged husband this week while he was out on bail on domestic violence charges. The Women's Legal Service is struggling to cope with a surge in demand for its domestic violence phone help line, just as its about to face funding cuts.
Topics: domestic-violence, community-and-society, government-and-politics, women, qld, australia
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Heavy Christmas discounting at retail outlets across the country offered up some great bargains for consumers, but it's come at a price. Retailers haven't been able to cover their costs, and economists say it could lead to job losses and lower wages this year. It comes as inflation and wages growth are already at worrying low levels, fuelling speculation the Reserve Bank may be forced to cut interest rate to new record lows.
Topics: retail, business-economics-and-finance, economic-trends, australia
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| UpdatedA new smartphone app for identifying dragonflies in Australia's tropical regions has been created, to share and expand research on the insect. More than 50 dragonfly species have been included from across northern Australia, including Kakadu National Park.
Topics: animal-science, information-and-communication, science-and-technology, research, darwin-0800, australia, nt
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| UpdatedA Queensland cabinet minister has quit over a public transport debacle, and the businessman who investigated it has been appointed his replacement. Many Brisbane trains ground to a halt late last year over a shortage of drivers, despite earlier warnings by two consultants. An inquiry by the former Rio Tinto executive, Phillip Strachan, has found complacency and ineffective governance led to the problems.
Topics: rail-transport, government-and-politics, brisbane-4000, australia, qld
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| UpdatedThe right-wing Liberal Senator from South Australia Cory Bernardi has long threatened to break away from the Liberal Party, and now he's finally about to do it. Tomorrow Senator Bernardi will announce he's leaving the Coalition to form his own party called 'Australian Conservatives'. So far it's just a one person exodus, but Queensland Coalition MP George Christensen has again warned the Turnbull Government not to revisit the issue of same sex marriage. He says if it does 'the show will be over'.
Topics: liberals, government-and-politics, political-parties, parliament-house-2600, australia, act
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| UpdatedThe Tasmanian salmon Company Huon Aquaculture is taking the Tasmanian Government to court in order to try to get stricter limits on the amount of salmon that are farmed in Macquarie Harbour on the state's West Coast. The State Government says it doesn't comment on legal proceedings, but says the industry is among the best regulated in the world.
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, law-crime-and-justice, courts-and-trials, tas, australia
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| UpdatedThe child sexual abuse Royal Commission has released new statistics on abuse claims in the Catholic Church in Australia. It found 1,880 priests, religious brothers and lay people had claims of abuse made against them between 1980 and 2015. The claims were made by 4,444 people.
Topics: royal-commissions, community-and-society, child-abuse, catholic, law-crime-and-justice, australia
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The authors of a new study on are calling on the Therapeutic Goods Administration should require independent testing of herbal medicines sold in Australia. The review, published in the Medical Journal of Australia, found some herbal medicines can cause kidney failure and liver damage because they contain toxic chemicals or heavy metals and can react harmfully with other drug
Topics: alternative-medicine, regulation, herbalist, australia
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Former French MP Jerome Riviere is confident far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen will win the up-coming French election. He has drawn parallels with US President Donald Trump, and says the French people see that Le Pen has their interests at heart.
Topics: world-politics, france
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| UpdatedA report that aims to measure whether students are engaged in learning has found a widespread problem in Australian high schools. According to the Grattan Institute, the 40 per cent of students who are disengaged are falling one to two years behind their peers as a result. The report also found that teachers lack the skills to get them back on track.
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| UpdatedEconomists are expressing alarm at Australia's growing level of wealth inequality. The latest private survey shows only the wealthiest Australians reported high levels of 'financial comfort' during 2016, while those of lower salaries said last year left them worse off. The experts say high levels of job insecurity, combined with growing under-employment, is hurting the majority of Australian households.
Topics: population-and-demographics, poverty, australia
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| UpdatedThe child sexual abuse Royal Commission has released what it believes to be a world first survey of child sexual abuse claims in the Catholic Church. It found that between 1950 and 2010, 7 per cent of Australia's Catholic priests had a claim of abuse made against them.
Topics: sexual-offences, child-abuse, catholic, royal-commissions, australia
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The US President Donald Trump has spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart over the weekend and promised to work with both Russia and Ukraine to restore peace in the region. The call came days after a sudden resurgence of fighting in the country's far east between government troops and Russian backed insurgents, destroying nearly 200 homes and killing at least 33 people in the town of Avdiivka.
Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, ukraine
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| UpdatedDonald Trump has signed an executive order to review the Dodd Frank Act imposed after the global financial crisis. But critics warn any unwinding of tougher regulation on banks could encourage more risk and another crisis for the financial system. Wall Street bank stocks rallied on the prospect of looser regulation.
Topics: banking, business-economics-and-finance, united-states
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| UpdatedThe legal battle over US President Donald Trump's travel and refugee ban will likely end up in the Supreme Court, according to the lawyer who served as US Attorney-General under George W Bush. Professor Alberto Gonzales says if some conditions were different, the case for supporting the executive order would be more solid, but he believes President Trump is trying to protect national security with the ban, and that he will abide by the court's decision.
Topics: world-politics, courts-and-trials, united-states
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The US President, Donald Trump, has reacted angrily on social media after a Seattle judge blocked his administration's travel ban. Mr Trump has accused James Robart of putting the country in danger, insisting the judge is to blame if the country is attacked.
Topics: world-politics, immigration, law-crime-and-justice, judges-and-legal-profession, united-states
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Fellow South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon says that if Cory Bernardi leaves the Liberal Party, that would be a major challenge for the Prime Minister. He told The World Today that despite big differences of opinion, he's be prepared to work with Senator Bernardi if he became an independent.
Topics: minor-parties, political-parties, liberals, australia
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| UpdatedParliament returns tomorrow but already the Liberal Party is under attack from within its own ranks. It's believed the outspoken South Australian Senator Cory Bernardi will leave the Liberals this week and form his own splinter party. The move is a major blow to Malcolm Turnbull's leadership just before Parliament returns for 2017.
Topics: parliament, federal-government, australia
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| UpdatedThe Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull says Australia is not indebted to help the US with future military deployments, just because the US President, Donald Trump, agreed to honour a refugee resettlement deal. The Prime Minister is hoping the return of federal parliament this week will refocus attention on domestic politics like cost of living pressures. The Federal Opposition is promising to continue its pursuit of the Attorney-General George Brandis, threatening him with contempt proceedings over a long-running freedom of information request for his diary.
Topics: federal-government, world-politics, australia
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The Royal Commission is releasing new data on the extent of child sexual abuse committed by Catholic clergy and brothers in Australia. Representatives of the Catholic Church believe it's the first time in the world the Church has fully opened its records to a national inquiry. And it is warning the statistics will shock many people.
Topics: royal-commissions, child-abuse, sexual-offences, australia
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As the first weeks of Donald Trump's presidency have unfolded, those who'd hoped the assumption of office would temper his erratic behaviour have been disappointed. Former Republican insiders have told 4 Corners they are deeply concerned by the President's actions, and they say his foreign policy decisions could force Australia to rethink the alliance, and the commitment to the conflict in the Middle East.
Topics: treaties-and-alliances, world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, united-states, australia
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Donald Trump has signed an executive order to review the Dodd Frank Act imposed after the global financial crisis. But critics warn any unwinding of tougher regulation on banks could encourage more risk and another crisis for the financial system. Australia's Reserve Bank board meets tomorrow with the cash rate set to remain on hold as it assess the style and direction of the Trump administration.
Topics: world-politics, business-economics-and-finance, regulation, united-states
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| UpdatedPeople affected by the proposed travel and refugee ban have flooded into the US following a legal setback for President Donald Trump's attempt to prevent their entry. The President and his team are still confident they will win the case on their merits. Mr Trump has also upset Republicans with controversial comments about Vladimir Putin.
Topics: world-politics, immigration, courts-and-trials, united-states