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| UpdatedThe 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.
Topics: environment, energy, australia, nsw, sa
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| UpdatedPrime 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.
Topics: government-and-politics, environment, alternative-energy, federal-government, parliament, canberra-2600, australia, act
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| UpdatedThere'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.
Topics: mining-industry, industry, environment, pollution, health, mining-rural, qld, australia
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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.
Topics: murder-and-manslaughter, law-crime-and-justice, crime, nsw, australia
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Young people could be banned from playing video games between midnight and 8am in China under a government plan. The Communist Party has drafted the law in the hope of improving the health of the 170 million children and teenagers accessing the internet in China.
Topics: kids-games-and-links, games-industry, games-on-the-web, children, games, china
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Russia's leading opposition leader has been found guilty of embezzlement and handed a five-year suspended sentence. Alexei Navalny, who denies the charges will now be barred from running against Vladimir Putin in next year's presidential election.
Topics: corruption, defence-forces, world-politics, russian-federation
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| UpdatedFBI agents have recovered a 17th century oil painting that disappeared more than 80 years ago. 'Young Man at Bacchus' was one of hundreds of works confiscated by the Nazis from a German art dealer before world war two. And though its original owner is long dead, his lost collection is slowly being tracked down around the world.
Topics: painting, visual-art, world-war-2, united-states
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| UpdatedElections for the next governor of of Jakarta will take place on Wednesday, and the son of a former Indonesian president is in the running. Agus Yodhoyono, son of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is popular across the city and for many residents is the only candidate worth voting for.
Topics: world-politics, elections, indonesia
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The top US Commander on the ground in Iraq says he expects to have taken back the Islamic State held cities of Mosul and Raqqa within six months. Army Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend made the prediction as the Pentagon develops a plan to accelerate its campaign.
Topics: defence-forces, iraq
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| UpdatedThe White House insists that US President Donald Trump did not misuse his power after he criticised an American department store on Twitter. President Trump has accused Nordstrom of treating his daughter unfairly by dropping her clothing line.
Topics: world-politics, business-economics-and-finance, united-states
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| UpdatedMonash University Associate Professor Peter Holland's research at the School of Management has highlighted the downsides of social media for employees and the need for them to be very careful about what they post. But now he's suggesting that social media could be a powerful platform for employees to have a voice in the workforce.
Topics: social-media, industrial-relations, work, australia
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| UpdatedThe Federal Government's search to find a storage solution for low to intermediate level radioactive waste is continuing in South Australia. The waste, mainly from medical procedures is currently stored in places like hospitals, but the Government wants to keep it all together. It's brought in a French delegation to share their experience in hosting such a facility, and help address some of the concerns previously raised about the project.
Topics: nuclear-issues, recycling-and-waste-management, sa
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Troubled financial services giant AMP has posted its first full year loss since 2003 amid a continuing crisis in its life insurance and wealth protection divisions. AMP reported a $344 million net loss after last year's write-downs due to pressure in its bread and butter businesses and continuing regulatory scrutiny of banks and insurers. But chief executive Craig Meller says AMP's financial position remains strong. ABC's Peter Ryan discusses the loss.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, australia
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At least one asylum seeker has been removed from the Manus Island detention centre to be deported, according to a lawyer who represents hundreds of detainees. Immigration authorities in Papua New Guinea have previously said they were preparing to deport 163 men whose refugee claims had been rejected.
Topics: immigration, refugees, papua-new-guinea
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The Prime Minister has had another extraordinary spray at the Opposition Leader today, following on from his blistering speech in the Parliament yesterday. Malcolm Turnbull says Bill Shorten is a hypocrite, envious, and a sycophant. The Opposition Leader, who regularly called the PM 'Mr Harbourside Mansion' says Labor is above petty politics.
Topics: federal-parliament, australia
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| UpdatedThe latest South Australian blackout is playing into the political debate in Canberra about national energy policy. The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's again calling on state Labor governments to abandon aggressive renewable energy targets and get behind his government's more modest goals. But the Federal Opposition's calling on Mr Turnbull's Government to give more details about what the national energy regulator did to try and prevent the blackout.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, federal-government, states-and-territories, sa
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The South Australian government says it's lost faith in the national electricity market and has been abandoned by the Commonwealth when it comes to energy. Thousands of customers had power cut last night because of insufficient generation, as the state sweltered through 40 degree plus temperatures.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, government-and-politics, sa
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A jury in London has cleared Australian entertainer Rolf Harris of three charges at his latest trial after 26 hours of deliberation. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on a further four counts, and Harris will learn next week if he will face a retrial for those charges.
Topics: sexual-offences, crime, courts-and-trials, united-kingdom
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The Federal Government is waiting for an urgent report into last night's power black-outs in South Australia, which affected 40 000 customers. The state's Energy Minister is laying the blame on the national market operator for what was the latest in a string of black-outs to hit the state.
Topics: electricity-energy-and-utilities, federal-government, sa
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Mass protests in Romania have triggered a no-confidence vote in their government, which it has survived. Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in the largest protests the country has seen since the collapse of communism in 1989, over a decree that would have effectively decriminalised official misconduct.
Topics: activism-and-lobbying, world-politics, corruption, romania
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| UpdatedHumanitarian workers in Afghanistan have been killed in a suspected Islamic State attack while delivering supplies to communities affected by recent heavy snow storms. Six workers for Red Cross were killed, and two other members of their convoy are unaccounted for.
Topics: relief-and-aid-organisations, unrest-conflict-and-war, afghanistan
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| UpdatedBarnaby Joyce delivered what has been called a 'spray', at this week's Coalition party room meeting, reminding MPs to not dwell on fringe issues like same sex marriage. He told AM this that recent 'backflips' on Queensland land acquisition, and softening welfare policy show the Government is 'not arrogant' and willing to negotiate. He also defended Malcolm Turnbull's attack on Bill Shorten yesterday as logical response to the Opposition Leader's 'hypocritical' attempts to establish class warfare by calling attention to the Prime Minister's wealth.
Topics: joyce-barnaby, parliament, turnbull-malcolm, australia
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| UpdatedImmigration Minister Peter Dutton responds to the Opposition's claims that he is seeking too much power with proposed reviews of the credentials of long-term visa holders. Mr Dutton says the Opposition did not raise any concerns during the Senate review and the bill would have a public interest element.
Topics: federal-government, immigration, australia
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| UpdatedUnited States President Donald Trump has described his travel ban as simple and beautifully written while speaking to sheriffs and police chiefs. His comments come as an appeals court deliberates on last week's court decision to suspend his travel ban on people from seven Muslim majority nations entering the US.
Topics: world-politics, immigration, courts-and-trials, united-states
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| UpdatedThe Federal Opposition has decided to oppose sections of a new migration bill, which would introduce a system of revalidation checks for long-term visa holders. Labor MPs have told parliament that the proposed powers would allow the Immigration Minister to order any visa holder or 'class of persons' to undergo revalidation, if he thought it was in the public interest. Last year Labor did not issue a dissenting report when the bill was approved by a Senate committee, but in the context of the proposed travel bans in the United States, it's clearly changed its view.
Topics: federal-government, immigration, australia